The Diplomat
The head of the Palestinian Mission in Madrid, Musa Amer Odeh, will leave his post, in which he has remained for more than fifteen years, next July, after reaching retirement age.
Musa Odeh took charge in December 2005 of the General Delegation of Palestine in Spain and since September 2010 has the rank of ambassador, after the Government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero decided to raise the rank of the representation to Diplomatic Mission.
Musa Odeh is currently the longest serving ambassador in Spain, second only to the ambassador of the Sovereign Order of Malta, Jean Marrie Musy, who has held the post since September 2003, and ahead of the ambassador of Russia, Yuri Korchagin, who this month has completed nine years in office. This Friday, Arab ambassadors will host a farewell dinner for him before he returns to Ramallah.
Musa Odeh has developed an intense activity in our country, trying to get support for the Palestinian cause and, insistently claiming in recent times, to the Spanish Government to carry out the recognition of Palestine as a State, recalling the promises made by Pedro Sanchez when he was in the opposition.
In statements to The Diplomat, the Palestinian diplomat stressed that “it has been a great pride and pleasure to serve during these fifteen years” in Madrid, “where I have excellent friends”.
Before arriving in Spain, Odeh was also head of mission in Brazil, the Philippines and Nicaragua, as well as ambassador-designate in the Political Department of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
Born in 1947 in Hebron, he holds a degree in Arts, Philosophy and Sociology from the University of Syria. Amer Odeh is a historic leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization, where for years he was director of the Department of Popular Organization and Trade Unions.
For the moment it is not known who will be the person who will take over from Amer Odeh as head of the Palestinian Mission in Madrid.