One of Palestine's most prominent businessmen and philanthropists, Mr. Hasib Sabbagh, passed away on January 12, 2010, leaving behind him family, friends and an entire Palestinian community who felt his generosity for years. MIFTAH would like to offer its deepest condolences to Mr. Sabbagh's family for their loss and to the Palestinian people overall for the loss of such a major contributor to the building of Palestine's civil society. Sabbagh was also a large contributor to Palestinian universities such as Al Najah, Bethlehem and Birzeit University. After the death of this wife in 1978, Sabbagh set up the Diana Tamari Sabbagh Foundation, which funds an array of institutions in the Middle East, Europe and the United States.

Hasib Sabbagh, originally from Safad, was born in Tiberias, Palestine in 1920 and founded the Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) in 1943 in Haifa. Following the 1948 War and the creation of the State of Israel, CCC was reestablished in Beirut, Lebanon and has since become one of the largest multinational corporations in the Middle East and the world over.

Over and above his business savvy and generous contributions to the Palestinians in particular, Mr. Sabbagh was also active in political life, serving as member of the Palestine National Council, deputy chairman of the Health Care Organization of the West Bank and Gaza and chairman of the Palestinian Students Fund. MIFTAH was also the recipient of Mr. Sabbagh's generosity through his funding of the organization in 2000. In appreciation of Mr. Sabbagh's role in boosting Palestinian civil society and his lifetime service to the Palestinian people and cause, MIFTAH hosted an awards ceremony in his honor in 2000.

With the passing of Mr. Sabbagh, Palestine has lost a loyal son but whose legacy will endure for years to come.