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Mustafa BarghoutiProfessor of Public Health at Bir Zeta University
Date of Birth: 01.01.1954
Country:  Israel |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Return to Jerusalem and Medical Career
- Political Activism
- The Madrid Conference
- Participation in Palestinian Elections
- Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council
- Attempt at the Presidency of the Palestinian National Authority
Early Life and Education
In 1971, Professor Mustafa Barghouti embarked on his academic journey by enrolling at the Kuban State Medical Academy in the USSR. After completing his studies in 1977, he undertook a residency at Stanford University in the United States from 1977 to 1978. According to alternative sources, he graduated from the Medical Faculty of the Peoples' Friendship University in 1978.
Return to Jerusalem and Medical Career
In 1978, Barghouti returned to East Jerusalem and worked as a physiotherapist at Al-Makassed Hospital. He is married to Rita Giacaman, a professor of public health at Birzeit University.
Political Activism
Founding of the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief CommitteesIn 1983, Barghouti established the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees, a non-profit organization dedicated to gathering data on medical care in the Palestinian territories and coordinating efforts to improve healthcare access.
#Leadership of the Health, Development, Information and Policy Institute
In 1990, Barghouti became the head of the Health, Development, Information, and Policy Institute, an organization that combined medical and human rights advocacy.
The Madrid Conference
In 1991, Barghouti was a member of the Palestinian delegation at the Madrid Conference on the Middle East peace process.
Participation in Palestinian Elections
In 1996, Barghouti participated in the Palestinian general elections and received 19.8% of the votes. In 2002, he left the Palestinian People's Party and co-founded the Palestinian National Initiative, which presented itself as an alternative to both the corrupt PLO structures and the rise of Islamism.
Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council
Since 2006, Barghouti has served as a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, where he advocates for nonviolent resistance to Israeli occupation, fights against corruption, and promotes human rights. He has called for the abandonment of the two-state solution and a return to the idea of a binational, secular Arab-Jewish state governed by a democratically elected government.
Attempt at the Presidency of the Palestinian National Authority
In 2012, Barghouti ran for the presidency of the Palestinian National Authority but lost to Mahmoud Abbas, who received approximately 65% of the votes.
