Salim Al-Hoss: The Brilliant Thinker and Exemplary Leader

 August 27, 2024

By Nasser Kandil

Much can be said about the virtues of the late President Salim Al-Hoss, a rare figure who embodied knowledge, ethics, integrity, and courage. He was a shining example of principled leadership, demonstrating the power of unwavering moral conviction. However, beyond honouring his memory, there are lessons in his life that should guide anyone sincerely engaged in public service.

Al-Hoss was a true exemplar of leadership, known for his extraordinary ability to draw a clear line between his personal relationships and public responsibilities, particularly in governance, which is an extraordinary ability and difficult for others to match. Those who worked with him, observed his leadership, or followed his career would easily recognize that he never compromised his authority for personal connections, nor did he overstep the bounds of others, even when his relationships with them changed. His strict adherence to the constitutional separation of powers made him a living embodiment of those principles.

This distinction between the personal and the official was most evident in financial matters. Many know the story of how President Al-Hoss donated the private jet gifted to him by the late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri to the Lebanese state. He was meticulous in separating his personal expenses, even for food and travel, from state finances. Numerous accounts tell of his refusal to assist individuals seeking jobs for relatives or friends outside legal procedures, consistently urging them to follow the proper channels.

Among those who held high positions in the state, President Al-Hoss stood out as perhaps the only one who never signed a contract for a relative or friend, never allocated funds based on political favouritism, and never withheld them due to disagreements. This uncompromising stance made him “difficult” in the eyes of many decision-makers, a label given to him by both allies and opponents.

As a brilliant thinker, Al-Hoss left behind insights that reflect his intelligence, culture, and depth of thought. One of his observations was that Lebanon, due to its weakness, has always been on the receiving end of negative fallout from regional crises and settlements, particularly those centred around the Arab-Israeli conflict. He argued that only a strong Lebanon could withstand crises and benefit from positive outcomes in regional solutions.

Another key principle he espoused was the distinction between the issue and the problem, which he applied to complex situations such as the Palestinian presence in Lebanon. He believed the issue was Palestine, with the refugee crisis resulting from Israeli aggression and the right of return as the response to displacement. He maintained that while Palestinian arms might pose a problem, it was the Lebanese responsibility to address this without harming the Palestinian cause, as the cost would be borne by both Palestinians and Lebanese through potential settlement. In discussions about the resistance’s weapons, he applied this same principle, stating that the issue was protecting Lebanon from Israeli ambitions and liberating occupied land. He warned that any approach to the so-called problem of resistance arms that weakened Lebanon’s strength—represented by the resistance—was a mistake. National responsibility, he argued, was to find solutions that preserved the core issue, which is the aim of a national defence strategy.

Producing another leader like Salim Al-Hoss is no easy task; he was the result of a unique journey and evolution. However, it is not too much to ask that every official draw a clear line between personal interests and public responsibilities, and that they read, and if serious, write. This standard – Al-Hoss’s hallmark – was his unique ability to blend exemplary leadership with profound intellectual insight.