Ziad Abu Amr

Ziad Abu Amr (; born 22 January 1950) is a Palestinian politician, author, and member of the Palestinian Legislative Council. He served as Deputy Prime Minister of Palestine and is a member (independent) of the PLO Executive Committee. From 17 March 2007 to 14 June 2007, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs. On 6 June 2013, Ziad Abu Amr was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister of Palestine by President Mahmoud Abbas.

Background Born in Gaza City on 22 June 1950, Abu Amr attended Damascus University in Syria, where he earned a bachelor's degree in English literature and language in 1973. He studied at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., receiving a master's degree in Arab studies from the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies in 1979 and a PhD in Philosophy and Comparative Politics in 1985. After working as a teacher in Bahrain, Oman, and Syria in the 1970s, he taught political science at Birzeit University in Ramallah from 1985 to 1993.

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. Ziad Abu Amr (first on the left of President Mahmoud Abbas) with President Donald J. Trump and President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority at the United Nations General Assembly, 20 September 2017. 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 Palestine by President Mahmoud Abbas.