Mahmud Al-Zahar Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian Authority Country: Israel

1. Biography of Mahmoud al-Zahar
2. Involvement with Hamas
3. Role as Minister of Foreign Affairs
4. Current Status

Biography of Mahmoud al-Zahar

Mahmoud al-Zahar is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian Authority since 2006 and one of the founders and leaders of the Hamas movement. He was born in 1945 (according to other sources - in 1951) in the city of Gaza, in a Palestinian-Egyptian family. He grew up in the city of Ismailia, Egypt, and completed his schooling in Gaza. He studied medicine at Ain Shams University in Egypt, earning a bachelor's degree in 1971 and a master's degree in general surgery in 1976. He participated in the founding of the Medical Faculty at the Islamic University of Gaza in 1978 and taught surgery there. He also played a role in the creation of the doctors' union in the Gaza Strip, serving as its leader from 1981 to 1985.

Involvement with Hamas

In 1987-1988, al-Zahar participated in the establishment of the Hamas movement, and in 1989 he was elected to its leadership. He served as the movement's representative in negotiations with other Palestinian factions, particularly the Palestine Liberation Organization, in January 1990. In 1992, along with other Hamas activists and members of the Islamic Jihad, he was deported to the Marj al-Zuhur camp in southern Lebanon. In 1993, after the start of the peace process, he returned to Gaza. Although al-Zahar was a public figure and considered a representative of the political wing of Hamas (he represented the organization in negotiations with the Palestinian Authority government in June 2003), Israeli authorities insisted on his involvement in terrorist activities. On September 10, 2003, Israeli military attempted to assassinate al-Zahar: a bomb was dropped on his house in Gaza, resulting in the death of his eldest son, Khaled, and a security guard. Al-Zahar himself, as well as his wife and daughter, were injured but survived. In 2004, after the killing of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and Abd al-Aziz al-Rantisi, al-Zahar became the sole surviving founder of Hamas. Although the organization officially declared a collective leadership, al-Zahar came to be seen as the leader of Hamas from that time onwards.

Role as Minister of Foreign Affairs

Following the victory of the Hamas movement in the Palestinian Authority elections in January 2006, al-Zahar made strong statements regarding the future policies of the Palestinian government. He announced the intention to "distance ourselves from Israel and strive to establish all possible ties with our Arab and Muslim neighbors" and ruled out the possibility of negotiations with Israel or recognition of its right to exist. Commenting on Israel's plan for a unilateral withdrawal from Palestinian territories in early March, al-Zahar stated that he welcomed any such steps as long as they did not impose any obligations on Hamas. After al-Zahar assumed the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs in March 20, 2006, his position remained firm. In early April, he stated that he did not want to see Israel on the world map. However, shortly afterwards, al-Zahar sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, expressing the readiness of the Palestinian government to engage in dialogue with Israel and not ruling out the possibility of coexistence of the two states.

Current Status

When the Israeli corporal Gilad Shalit was captured by Palestinian militants in late June 2006, the Israeli authorities named al-Zahar among the Palestinian ministers who would be targeted if the corporal were killed. After several members of the Palestinian government were arrested by the Israelis, al-Zahar went underground. Dr. al-Zahar is the author of several books on religious, political, and artistic topics. He is married and has three sons and four daughters.