Naji Al-Ali

ForPalestine
Oct 3
3 min read

Naji Salim Hussein al-Ali was a famous Palestinian cartoonist. He was born in the village of al-Shajara, between Tiberias and Nazareth in Palestine, in 1937. At the age of ten, Naji and his family fled to Lebanon after the Israeli occupation of Palestine in 1948, settling in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp. Naji al-Ali married the Palestinian Wadad Saleh Nasr from the town of Saffuriyya, and they had four children: Khaled, Osama, Lail, and Judy.

Because of his difficult circumstances, al-Ali was unable to complete his formal education. He moved to Tripoli and obtained a certificate in automobile mechanics, but in 1960 he enrolled at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied drawing. The writer Ghassan Kanafani played a significant role in launching al-Ali’s career, after seeing his drawings on the walls of Ain al-Hilweh camp and publishing one of them in Al-Hurriya magazine, Issue 88, on September 25, 1961.

Naji al-Ali became known for his revolutionary spirit through his political cartoons, which focused on the issues of Palestine and the wider Arab world. He worked for several Arab newspapers in Kuwait, London, and Lebanon. His most famous creation was the character Handala, along with many other symbolic figures.

Over the course of his career, Naji al-Ali produced around 40,000 cartoons, earning him the Golden Pen of Freedom Award from the International Federation of Newspaper Publishers in 1978.

In 1963, he moved to Kuwait to work for Al-Tali‘a magazine, remaining there until 1968, then joining Al-Siyasa newspaper. In 1975, he returned to Lebanon to work for As-Safir newspaper, where he stayed until 1973.

He was arrested by Israeli forces because of his resistance activities, and also by the Lebanese army several times. He spent his time in prison drawing on the walls.

In 1978 (note: sources often cite 1987), al-Ali was assassinated in London. An unknown assailant shot him beneath his right eye. He remained in a coma until he died on August 29, 1987, at the age of fifty.

Key Achievements:

In 1979, Naji al-Ali became president of the Arab Cartoonists’ Association.
In 1983, he returned to Kuwait to work for Al-Qabas newspaper, then moved in 1985 to London to work for Al-Qabas International.
His most iconic creation was Handala, a ten-year-old Palestinian boy drawn with his back turned and his hands clasped behind him, first appearing in Al-Siyasa newspaper in 1969. Handala, “born” on June 5, 1967 (the Naksa), became a symbol of Palestinian suffering, witness to events, and a reflection of Arab regimes’ failures.
Other recurring characters included Fatima, the strong, unyielding Palestinian woman; her husband with large hands and feet, representing hard labor and occasional defeat; the fat man, symbolizing Palestinian and Arab leaders; and the long-nosed Israeli soldier, weak before children’s stones yet conniving with leaders.
He published three books compiling his cartoons. His son Khaled later collected and translated many of his works into English, French, and other languages.
He won several awards, including first prize at the Arab Cartoonists’ exhibitions in Damascus in 1979 and 1980.

Notable Works:

Cartoonist for Al-Tali‘a magazine, Al-Siyasa newspaper in Kuwait, and As-Safir newspaper in Lebanon from the mid-1960s until 1975.
Creator of Handala (1969), still a lasting symbol of Palestinian resistance.
President of the Arab Cartoonists’ Association (1979).
Worked at Al-Qabas in Kuwait (1983) and Al-Qabas International in London (1985).
Published three books of collected works, including A Child in Palestine: The Cartoons of Naji al-Ali.