Amine Gemayel

Gemayel's great uncle, Antoine, traveled to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 as a political representative of the Maronite Christian community in Lebanon.

His ancestors settled in the town of Bikfayya, 25 kilometers northeast of Beirut, in the mid-16th century.

Amine Pierre Gemayel (أمين بيار الجميٌل, ; born 22 January 1942) is a Lebanese politician who served as President of Lebanon from 1982 to 1988.

Born in Bikfaya, his father was Pierre Gemayel, the founder of the Christian Kataeb Party (Also known as the "Phalanges").

Born in the Lebanese town of Bikfaya on 22 January 1942, Amine Gemayel is the eldest son of Pierre Gemayel, founder of the Kataeb Party and his wife Genevieve.

He has two sisters and a brother, late Bachir Gemayel.

His grandfather was forced to leave Lebanon in the early 20th century as a result of his opposition to the Ottoman Empire and therefore, had to spend several years living in Egypt.

Gemayel obtained a law degree from the St. Joseph University in Beirut in 1965.

Amine Gemayel began his career after his graduation practicing as an attorney in 1965.

He then concentrated on building up his family's newspaper business.

He worked as a lawyer, then was elected as a deputy for Northern Metn in 1970 by-election, following the death of his uncle, Maurice Gemayel, and once again in the 1972 general election.

At the start of the Lebanese Civil War, the Phalanges were a member of the Lebanese Front, allied with Syria against the leftist National Movement.

However, Syria became their enemy, while they started receiving the support of Israel.

This phase saw the rise of his brother, Bachir, who had disputes with Amine about the military leadership, such as uniting the Christian militias by force.

In a 1970 by-election, he was elected to succeed his deceased uncle, Maurice Gemayel, as a member of the National Assembly; he defeated Fuad Lahoud by a margin of 54% to 41%.

In 1972, in the last election to be held for 20 years, he was reelected by a large margin.

While his younger brother Bashir was regarded as a political radical, espousing the expulsion of Palestinian guerrillas from Lebanese soil and a radical overhaul of the political system, and hinting at a possible peace settlement with Israel, Amine Gemayel was considered more moderate.

Always a consensus politician, he avoided, at least in his pre-presidential years, alienating Muslim politicians as his brother had done.

When Bashir Gemayel was assassinated by a member of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, therefore, Amine was regarded as a natural choice to bring together both the supporters of his slain brother, and his Muslim opponents.

In 1982, Bachir was elected to presidency, but was assassinated before taking office.

Endorsed by the United States and Israel, he was elected on 23 September as the eighth president.

At the age of 40 years, he was the youngest president to take office.

He re-organized the Lebanese Army, receiving support from the Multinational Force in Lebanon and despite fierce internal opposition, he reached the May 17 Agreement with Israel in 1983, which stipulated the withdrawal of the Israeli forces and ending the state of war between the two countries, but didn't ratify it.

Under his command, the army, allied with the Lebanese Forces, clashed with Jammoul, a Syrian-backed alliance led by the Druze Walid Jumblatt, in what is known as the Mountain War.

By the end of the conflict, the government suffered heavy defeat, and lost control over wide areas of Mount Lebanon.

It was followed by February 6 Intifada, where the army was expelled out of West Beirut, and disintegrated into sectarian groups.

As a result of heavy pressure, and the withdrawal of the multinational forces, Gemayel visited Damascus in 1984, and formed a national unity government, including members from the opposition, headed by Rashid Karami.

He cancelled the May 17 Agreement, and appointed Michel Aoun as a Commander of the Armed Forces.

In 1986, he helped Samir Geagea organize a coup against the leader of the Lebanese Forces Elie Hobeika, for signing the Tripartite Accord with Berri and Jumblatt.

Following the assassination of Karami, he appointed Selim Hoss as acting Prime Minister.

Right before his term expired, Gemayel dismissed the cabinet and formed a military government headed by Michel Aoun.

Aoun then declared war on Syria but was defeated in 1990, marking the end of the civil war and the implementation of the Taef Agreement.

Gemayel moved to Switzerland and later France, starting a self-imposed exile.

In 2000, he returned to Lebanon, and organized opposition to Syria, and the leadership of the Phalangist Party.

He joined the Qornet Shehwan Gathering, and participated in the Cedar Revolution following the assassination of Rafic Hariri.

In 2006, Pierre Gemayel, his son, who was a deputy in the parliament, was assassinated.

He ran in the by-election, but lost against a Free Patriotic candidate.

His other son, Samy, succeeded him as president of the Phalangist Party.

Gemayel descends from a Maronite Christian family (the Gemayels) with a long tradition in Lebanon.

The Gemayel family are originally from the northern region of Mount Lebanon.