He has previously served as speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council and held a variety of significant positions within the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from the 1970s on.
Sebelumnya ia pernah menjadi ketua Dewan Legislatif Palestina dan memegang sejumlah kedudukan penting di dalam Organisasi Pembebasan Palestina (PLO) sejak tahun 1970-an.