Bachir Gemayel

Bachir Gemayel
بشير الجميّل
Gemayel in 1982
President-elect of Lebanon[note 1]
In role
23 August 1982 – 14 September 1982
Prime MinisterShafik Wazzan
Preceded byÉlias Sarkis
Succeeded byAmine Gemayel
Commander of the Lebanese Forces
In office
18 January 1976 – 14 September 1982
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byFadi Frem
Personal details
Born(1947-11-10)10 November 1947
Achrafieh, Beirut, Lebanon
Died14 September 1982(1982-09-14) (aged 34)
Achrafieh, Beirut, Lebanon
Manner of deathAssassination
Political partyKataeb Party
Spouse
(m. 1977)
RelationsAmine Gemayel (brother)
ChildrenMaya Gemayel (1978–1980)
Youmna Gemayel
Nadim Gemayel
Parent(s)Pierre Gemayel
Geneviève Gemayel
EducationSaint Joseph University
OccupationLawyer

Bachir Pierre Gemayel[note 2] (Arabic: بشير بيار الجميّل, pronounced [baˈʃiːr ʒɪˈmajjɪl]; 10 November 1947 – 14 September 1982) was a Lebanese militia commander who led the Lebanese Forces, the military wing of the Kataeb Party, in the Lebanese Civil War and was elected President of Lebanon in 1982.

He founded and later became the supreme commander of the Lebanese Forces, uniting major Christian militias by force under the slogan of "Uniting the Christian Rifle". Gemayel allied with Israel and his forces fought the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Syrian Army. He was elected president on 23 August 1982, but he was assassinated before taking office on 14 September, via a bomb explosion by Habib Shartouni, a member of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.[2]

Gemayel is described as the most controversial figure in the history of Lebanon. He remains popular among Maronite Christians, where he is seen as a "martyr" and an "icon". Conversely, he has been criticized for committing alleged war crimes and accused of treason for his relations with Israel.[3][4]


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  1. ^ "Gemayel family". Encyclopaedia Britannica. 13 November 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Phalangists Identify Bomber of Gemayel As Lebanese Leftist". The New York Times. Reuters. 3 October 1982. p. 19. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  3. ^ "بشير الجميل.. الحلم الضائع". Al-Afkar. 5 January 2017. Archived from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  4. ^ Rami (31 August 2016). "Bachir Gemayel The Series". +961. Retrieved 1 December 2020.