Ahmed Majdalani ( ar, أحمد مجدلاني) (born 1956) is a
Palestinian
Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...
politician, university professor and researcher. A former Palestinian government minister, he currently serves as Secretary-General of the
Palestinian Popular Struggle Front
The Palestinian Popular Struggle Front (PPSF, occasionally abbr. PSF), (Arabic: جبهة النضال الشعبي الفلسطيني, ''Jabhet Al-Nedal Al-Sha'abi Al-Falestini''), is a Palestinian political party. Samir Ghawshah was elected sec ...
(PPSF) and is a senior member of the PLO Executive Committee which is considered the highest political level in Palestine
Early life
Majdalani was born to Palestinian parents in
Damascus,
Syria in 1956. He enrolled in the
Social Sciences Academy in
Sofia
Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and h ...
,
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
, where he graduated with a PhD in political economics.
[Ahmed Majdalani Profile](_blank)
Jerusalem Media and Communications Center (JMCC). 2010-01-23. Retrieved on 2012-01-23.
Political career
Majdalani is a member of the
Palestinian National Council and the
(PLO). In 1998, he served as the Director-General of Arab and International Relations for the
Palestinian National Authority
The Palestinian National Authority (PA or PNA; ar, السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية '), commonly known as the Palestinian Authority and officially the State of Palestine, .
On 12 August 2009, following the death of
Samir Ghawshah
Samir Ghawshah also spelled Samir Ghosha ( ar, سمير غوشة, 1937–August 3, 2009), was a Palestinian politician and militia leader. He was the head of the Secretary-General of the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front (PPSF) and member of the ...
five days prior, Majdalani became Secretary-General of the
Palestinian Popular Struggle Front
The Palestinian Popular Struggle Front (PPSF, occasionally abbr. PSF), (Arabic: جبهة النضال الشعبي الفلسطيني, ''Jabhet Al-Nedal Al-Sha'abi Al-Falestini''), is a Palestinian political party. Samir Ghawshah was elected sec ...
(PPSF) after being elected by his party colleagues. Afterward, he stated that his goals were to strengthen Palestinian democratic institutions and encourage elections that would end the
strife between
Hamas
Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam ...
, which controls the
Gaza Strip
The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...
, and
Fatah, the dominant Palestinian faction in the
West Bank
The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
.
Palestinian minister
Majdalani was appointed the government post of
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. In ...
in the 9th Palestinian government from February 2005 to March 2006, where his primary task was dealing with issues regarding the
West Bank barrier
The Israeli West Bank barrier, comprising the West Bank Wall and the West Bank fence, is a separation barrier built by Israel along the Green Line and inside parts of the West Bank. It is a contentious element of the Israeli–Palestinian ...
.
Most recently, he served as the Minister of Labor for the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority. He was appointed the post by
Mahmoud Abbas, the
Palestinian president
The president of the State of Palestine is the head of state of Palestine. Yasser Arafat became the first titular president of the State of Palestine in 1989, one year after proclamation of independence. The title was originally titular, in par ...
, on 19 May 2009.
On 13 April 2019, he was appointed Minister of Social Development in
State of Palestine Government of April 2019.
Academic career
Majdalani is a professor of philosophy and cultural studies for
Birzeit University located north of Ramallah. He has authored three research studies: ''The Serious Threats Facing the Palestinian National Project'' (2007), ''The Arab Peace Initiative: An Option or Strategy for Peacemaking?'' (2007), and ''A Unilateral Declaration of Independence'' (2008).
Ahmad Majdalani
Palestine-Israel Journal of Politics, Economics and Culture.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Majdalani, Ahmed
1956 births
Government ministers of the Palestinian National Authority
Living people
Palestine Liberation Organization members
Palestinian Popular Struggle Front politicians
Politicians from Damascus
Academic staff of Birzeit University
Government ministers of the State of Palestine
State ministers of Palestine
Ambassadors of the State of Palestine to Romania
Palestinian expatriates in Bulgaria
Members of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization