Dr Clinton Bailey, also known in Hebrew media as Isaac, died on Sunday afternoon in Jerusalem at the age of 88.
Bailey was born in Buffalo, New York, in 1937, first coming to Israel in 1957.
He completed his bachelor’s degree in Middle Eastern and Islamic history at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, followed by a master’s degree in international relations, and a doctorate in political science with a specialization in the Middle East at Columbia University in New York.
After receiving his doctorate, he made aliyah.
A chance meeting with Paula Ben-Gurion in 1967 led to an interview with former prime minister David Ben-Gurion. This 1968 interview served as the basis for both 1969’s David Perlov movie ’42:6′ and resulted in the movie “Ben Gurion, Epilogue” released in 2016.
Bailey served in the IDF and was later an advisor for Arab affairs in the defense ministry. During the First Lebanon War in 1982, he served as an advisor to the Lebanon Liason Unit, was a liaison officer with the Amal Movement, and as an advisor on Shia affairs at the defense ministry.
Bedouin expertise
In his academic life, Bailey was a renowned expert on Bedouin culture and poetry, translating several poems into English.
Bailey’s unique collection of material on Bedouin life formed the basis of The Clinton Bailey Archive of Bedouin Culture at the National Library of Israel.
Bailey was married to Maya, and had four sons.
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