Leading Lebanese novelist Elias Khoury dies at 76

Lebanese novelist Elias Khoury, who dedicated much of his writings to the Palestinian cause and taught at universities around the world, making him one of Lebanon’s most prominent intellectuals has died. He was 76. Khoury, a leading voice of Arab contemporary literature, had been ill for months and admitted and discharged from hospital several times over the past year until his death early Sunday. Born in Beirut on July 12, 1948, Khoury had been known for his political stances from his support of Palestinians to his harsh criticism of Israel. His novels were translated into several languages including Hebrew.