Ziad Abu Amr
Ziad Abu Amr (; born 1950) is a Palestinian politician, author, and member of the Palestinian Legislative Council. He currently serves as the first deputy prime minister and is a member (independent) of the PLO Executive Committee. From 18 March 2007 to 17 June 2007, he was Foreign Minister of the Palestinian National Authority. On 6 June 2013, Ziad Abu-Amr was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority by President Mahmoud Abbas. Background. Born in Gaza City in 1950, Abu Amr later attended Damascus University in Syria, where he earned a bachelor's degree in  English literature and language. He obtained a master's and doctorate degree in comparative politics from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. After working as a teacher in Bahrain, Oman, and Syria, he began teaching political science at Birzeit University in Ramallah in 1985. Political career. Running as an independent candidate in the 1996 Palestinian general election, he won a seat in the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) representing Gaza City. During this period, he was chairman of the PLC's political committee. He was re-elected in legislative elections that took place on 25 January 2006, winning 55,748 votes. From April  to October 2003, he was Minister of Culture in the government of Prime Minister (now President) Mahmoud Abbas. After a period of factional violence in the Palestinian territories in early 2007, the Hamas-led government resigned on 15 February. Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh formed a new national unity government with Abu Amr as foreign minister. The cabinet was approved by the PLC and its members took office on 18 March. On 6 June 2013, Ziad Abu-Amr was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority by President Mahmoud Abbas. He is associated with many political associations, including the  Palestine Center in Washington D.C., the Palestinian Council on Foreign Relations, and MIFTAH, a Palestinian civil rights organization. Political ideology and views. Abu Amr is considered a reform-minded politician and part of the "young guard" of Palestinian leaders. He has, at times, been critical of the Palestinian Authority administration and security services. He has mediated talks between the two main Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, and is widely respected by both groups. A proponent of democracy and democratic elections, he has been a supporter of representation for opposition groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, claiming that they would  be held more accountable for their actions. Miscellaneous. Abu Amr is married and the father of five children. Currently, he lives in Ramallah, West Bank. He has published several books, the most well-known being "Islamic Fundamentalism in the West Bank and Gaza: Muslim Brotherhood and Islamic Jihad".