An early pilot · A community project
QADIYA is an independent, noncommercial community project: an archive of Palestine’s history, built for the cause and open to everyone.
This is an early pilot. Its records were gathered with AI help from cited sources and are still being checked, so don’t rely on them yet, and tell us if something is wrong.
We’re looking for people and organisations to build it with us: historians, archivists, translators, designers, developers, and partners who can support the work.
مؤتمر مدريد للسلام
Exact day30 October 1991
Madrid
On 30 October 1991 a peace conference opened in Madrid under American and Soviet sponsorship. Palestinians took part within a joint Jordanian-Palestinian delegation, their side headed by Haydar Abd al-Shafi; talks followed on a Palestinian-Israeli and a Jordanian-Israeli track.
Took part in the conference and the negotiations after it
Attributed to PASSIA, Palestinian Personalities
Held talks with James Baker in 1991 to prepare the conference
Attributed to Institute for Palestine Studies (Interactive Encyclopedia of the Palestine Question, biography)
Official spokesperson of the Palestinian delegation headed by Haydar Abd al-Shafi
Attributed to Institute for Palestine Studies (biography by Maher Charif)
Headed the Palestinian delegation and gave its speech
Attributed to Institute for Palestine Studies (biography by Maher Charif)
A delegate in the conference and the negotiations after it
Attributed to PASSIA, Palestinian Personalities
Vice-chair of the Palestinian negotiating team
Attributed to PASSIA, Palestinian Personalities
On the steering committee behind the Palestinian delegation
Attributed to PASSIA, Palestinian Personalities
On the advisory committee to the Palestinian delegation
Attributed to PASSIA, Palestinian Personalities
Linked context in the legacy record
The conference opened in Madrid on 30 October 1991 under formal American and Soviet sponsorship. Palestinians took part in a joint Jordanian-Palestinian delegation whose Palestinian members were not formally associated with the PLO; Haydar Abd al-Shafi, heading the Palestinian side, was given the same status as the heads of the other delegations.
Link to this chapterPalQuest · Institute for Palestine Studies · section: Highlight text (Michael Fischbach)
Editorial paraphrase · enMadrid, 30 October, under US-Soviet sponsorship; a joint Jordanian-Palestinian delegation; Abd al-Shafi given the same status as the other heads.
Link to this citationThe delegations agreed to negotiate along two tracks, Palestinian-Israeli and Jordanian-Israeli. Over the next twenty months nine further rounds were held in Washington; at the third, in January 1992, the Palestinian delegates began separate bilateral talks with the Israelis.
Link to this chapterPalQuest · Institute for Palestine Studies · section: Highlight text (Michael Fischbach)
Editorial paraphrase · enTwo tracks; nine more rounds in Washington over twenty months; separate Palestinian talks from January 1992.
Link to this citationSources & evidence
Contextual sources are further reading. Precise supporting passages appear alongside the chapters.
article · PalQuest · Institute for Palestine Studies
Overview by Michael Fischbach, Interactive Encyclopedia of the Palestine Question (Institute for Palestine Studies).
Reference metadata and an original summary only. No permission to copy or host the source’s text, photographs, audio or video is asserted.
photograph · Wikimedia Commons
The photograph shown with this event: The opening of the Madrid conference, 30 October 1991.
Public domain: a work of the United States government (the White House), held by the National Archives.
30 October 1991 · day
10-30 · occurrence
Anniversary of the documented date.
EVERY RECORD IS PART OF A LARGER STORY
PersonElias Sanbar participated in EventThe Madrid peace conference
Role: Took part in the conference and the negotiations after it
Attributed to PASSIA, Palestinian Personalities.
Palestinian Personalities: a biographic directory ↗
PASSIA, the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs · supports · section: was involved in the 1991 Madrid peace conference and the subsequent Washington negotiations as well as in the Multilateral talks on Refugees during 1993-96
Evidence version:passia-palestinian-personalities:v1References show the basis of this connection; their count is not a measure of independent corroboration.
PersonFaisal al-Husseini participated in EventThe Madrid peace conference
Role: Held talks with James Baker in 1991 to prepare the conference
Attributed to Institute for Palestine Studies (Interactive Encyclopedia of the Palestine Question, biography).
PalQuest · Institute for Palestine Studies · supports · section: “In 1991 Faisal al-Husseini held talks with US Secretary of State James Baker to prepare for the Middle East peace conference in Madrid.”
Evidence version:palquest-faisal-al-husseini-biography:v1References show the basis of this connection; their count is not a measure of independent corroboration.
PersonHanan Ashrawi participated in EventThe Madrid peace conference
Role: Official spokesperson of the Palestinian delegation headed by Haydar Abd al-Shafi
Attributed to Institute for Palestine Studies (biography by Maher Charif).
PalQuest · Institute for Palestine Studies · supports · section: The paragraph on the Madrid conference of late October 1991 and the negotiations in Washington
Evidence version:palquest-ashrawi-biography:v1References show the basis of this connection; their count is not a measure of independent corroboration.
PersonHaydar Abd al-Shafi participated in EventThe Madrid peace conference
Role: Headed the Palestinian delegation and gave its speech
Attributed to Institute for Palestine Studies (biography by Maher Charif).
PalQuest · Institute for Palestine Studies · supports · section: The paragraph on the Madrid conference of late October 1991 and the negotiations in Washington
Evidence version:palquest-abd-al-shafi-biography:v1References show the basis of this connection; their count is not a measure of independent corroboration.
PersonMustafa Barghouti participated in EventThe Madrid peace conference
Role: A delegate in the conference and the negotiations after it
Attributed to PASSIA, Palestinian Personalities.
Palestinian Personalities: a biographic directory ↗
PASSIA, the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs · supports · section: one of the delegates involved in the 1991 Madrid Peace conference and subsequent negotiations
Evidence version:passia-palestinian-personalities:v1References show the basis of this connection; their count is not a measure of independent corroboration.
PersonSaeb Erekat participated in EventThe Madrid peace conference
Role: Vice-chair of the Palestinian negotiating team
Attributed to PASSIA, Palestinian Personalities.
Palestinian Personalities: a biographic directory ↗
PASSIA, the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs · supports · section: vice-chair of the Palestinian negotiating team to the 1991 Madrid Peace Conference and subsequently to the Washington talks (1992-93)
Evidence version:passia-palestinian-personalities:v1References show the basis of this connection; their count is not a measure of independent corroboration.
PersonSari Nusseibeh participated in EventThe Madrid peace conference
Role: On the steering committee behind the Palestinian delegation
Attributed to PASSIA, Palestinian Personalities.
Palestinian Personalities: a biographic directory ↗
PASSIA, the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs · supports · section: was a member of the Steering Committee behind the Palestinian(-Jordanian) delegation to the Oct. 1991 Madrid Peace Conference
Evidence version:passia-palestinian-personalities:v1References show the basis of this connection; their count is not a measure of independent corroboration.
PersonZahira Kamal participated in EventThe Madrid peace conference
Role: On the advisory committee to the Palestinian delegation
Attributed to PASSIA, Palestinian Personalities.
Palestinian Personalities: a biographic directory ↗
PASSIA, the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs · supports · section: member of the Advisory Committee to the Palestinian delegation to the 1991 Madrid conference
Evidence version:passia-palestinian-personalities:v1References show the basis of this connection; their count is not a measure of independent corroboration.