Home > Middle East Conflict > Pierre Gemayel Biography

Born on November 6, 1905 (Bifkayya, Lebanon)
Died on August 29, 1984 (Bifkayya, Lebanon)

Lebanese politician

Pierre Gemayel gave Christians within Lebanon a forceful political voice in a country dominated by Muslims. His efforts to secure his people's place in Lebanon inspired his followers to call him "the rock on which Lebanon is to be built," according to the New York Times. He helped to found the Phalange Party (also known as the Lebanese Kataeb) in 1936, with a goal of uniting Maronite Christians in order to protect them from domination by foreign or religious rivals. Under Gemayel's charismatic leadership, the Phalange Party played a significant role in winning Lebanon its independence from France. It also protected Christians during the extended Lebanese civil war of the 1970s, and dominated Lebanese politics into the 1980s.