{{Short description|Palestainian nuclear physicist and politician (born 1945)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Nabeel Kassis | image = | caption = | native_name = نبيل قسيس | native_name_lang = ar | office1 = Minister of Finance | term_start1 = 16 May 2012 | term_end1 = 3 March 2013 | president1 = Mahmoud Abbas | prime_minister1 = Salam Fayyad | predecessor1 = Salam Fayyad | successor1 = Salam Fayyad | office2 = Minister of Planning | term_start2 = 12 November 2003 | term_end2 = 24 February 2005 | president2 = Yasser Arafat<br>Rawhi Fattouh (acting)<br>Mahmoud Abbas | prime_minister2 = Ahmed Qurei | predecessor2 = Salam Fayyad | successor2 = Ghassan Khatib | term_start3 = 30 April 2003 | term_end3 = 7 October 2003 | president3 = Yasser Arafat | prime_minister3 = Mahmoud Abbas | predecessor3 = Nabil Shaath | successor3 = Salam Fayyad | office4 = Minister of Tourism and Antiquities | term_start4 = 13 June 2002 | term_end4 = 30 April 2003 | president4 = Yasser Arafat | prime_minister4 = | predecessor4 = {{ill|Mitri Abu Aita|ar|متري أبو عيطة}} | successor4 = {{ill|Mitri Abu Aita|ar|متري أبو عيطة}} | office5 = Minister of State for Bethlehem Affairs | term_start5 = 9 August 1998 | term_end5 = 13 June 2002 | president5 = Yasser Arafat | prime_minister5 = | predecessor5 = ''Position established'' | successor5 = ''Position abolished'' | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1945|02|16|df=y}} | birth_place = Jerusalem, Palestine | death_date = | death_place = | party = Independent | spouse = | children = | alma_mater = University of Mainz (master's)<br>American University of Beirut (PhD) | occupation = Academic, politician }}
'''Nabeel Kassis''' ({{langx|ar|نبيل قسيس}}; born 16 February 1945), also transliterated as '''Nabil Kassis''', '''Nabil Qasis''', '''Nabeel Qassis''', etc., is a Palestinian academic, politician, diplomat, physicist, and nuclear scientist.
==Early life== Nabeel Kassis was born on 16 February 1945 in Jerusalem, Palestine during the British mandate period.
==Academic career== Kassis studied in Germany and Lebanon, earning a master's degree from the University of Mainz, and a PhD from the American University of Beirut, both in nuclear physics. He taught physics at a number of universities in Germany, Italy, France, England, Lebanon, and Jordan before joining Birzeit University in 1980.<ref name="JMCC"/> He served as President of Birzeit University from 2004 to 2010.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.birzeit.edu/president/past-presidents | title = Past Presidents | publisher = Birzeit University | accessdate = 2014-09-13}}</ref>
==Diplomatic career== Kassis was a member of the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid Peace Conference in 1991, and a deputy head of the negotiation delegation at the Washington talks in 1992 to 1993. He later became the Director-General of the Technical and Advisory Committee to the Palestinian negotiation team, established to do preparatory work for the transition to Palestinian self-government. He was a member of the Palestinian delegation on final status negotiations in 1999.<ref name=JMCC />
==Political career== As a proponent of transparency and reform, Kassis was appointed member of the Special Committee for the Investigation of the Auditor's Report in 1997. He later entered government as a political independent, serving as minister of state in 1998, Tourism Minister in 2002, Planning Minister from 2003 to 2005,<ref name="JMCC">{{cite web | url = http://www.jmcc.org/people.aspx?idd=168 | title = Nabil Kassis | publisher = Jerusalem Media and Communication Centre | date = January 4, 2010 | accessdate = 2014-09-13}}</ref> and Finance Minister from 2012 to 2013.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/05/palestinian-authoritys-premier-fayyad-gives-up-finance-post.html | title = Palestinian Authority premier Salam Fayyad gives up finance post | work = Los Angeles Times | date = May 16, 2012 | accessdate = 2014-09-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/mena/pa-s-finance-minister-quits-as-west-bank-economy-worsens-1.327705 | title = PA's finance minister quits as West Bank economy worsens | work = The National (Abu Dhabi) | date = March 3, 2013 | access-date = 2014-09-13}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-new|office}} {{s-ttl|title=Minister of State for Bethlehem Affairs|years=1998–2002}} {{s-non|reason=Position abolished}} |- {{s-bef|before={{ill|Mitri Abu Aita|ar|متري أبو عيطة}}}} {{s-ttl|title=Minister of Tourism and Antiquities|years=2002–2003}} {{s-aft|after={{ill|Mitri Abu Aita|ar|متري أبو عيطة}}}} |- {{s-bef|before=Nabil Shaath}} {{s-ttl|title=Minister of Planning|years=2003}} {{s-aft|after=Salam Fayyad}} |- {{s-bef|before=Salam Fayyad}} {{s-ttl|title=Minister of Planning|years=2003–2005}} {{s-aft|after=Ghassan Khatib}} |- {{s-bef|before=Salam Fayyad}} {{s-ttl|title=Minister of Finance|years=2012–2013}} {{s-aft|after=Salam Fayyad}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kassis, Nabeel}} Category:1945 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century Palestinian politicians Category:21st-century Palestinian politicians Category:Academic staff of Birzeit University Category:American University of Beirut alumni Category:Finance ministers of the Palestinian National Authority Category:Government ministers of Palestine Category:Government ministers of the Palestinian National Authority Category:University of Mainz alumni Category:Members of the Palestinian Central Council Category:Nuclear physicists Category:Palestinian scientists Category:Presidents of Birzeit University Category:State ministers of Palestine