Career
Early political career
In the early 1980s, Zaid was named PLO ambassador to Budapest, Hungary, where he tried to build ties with Hungary and other Eastern European countries and advocate for Palestinian rights. [9]
Abu Zaid's early political career included key diplomatic duties with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Despite threats from the Abu Nidal Organization, a PLO splinter group who targeted moderate PLO and Fatah Revolutionary Council members like Hikmat and others for assassination, Zaid still carried on his mission. [13]
Following the Oslo Peace Accords in 1993, Zaid returned to Palestine in 1994. He traveled to many Palestinian cities, including his hometown of Silat al-Harithiya near Jenin, to reunite with his people. [14]
In 1994, after returning to Palestine from his diplomatic posts, Arafat, the President of the Palestinian National Authority, appointed him as the first Governor of Jenin since the Israeli occupation in 1967. [15] He later ran successfully as an independent candidate for Jenin in the 1996 Palestine Legislative Council (PLC) elections on the Fatah list in which he received 14,220 votes. [7] His leadership and reputation in Jenin were further enhanced catching the attention of then President of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat [1] who subsequently appointed him as the Minister of Agriculture in 1998 as part of his third government. [4]
Minister of Agriculture
During his reign as the minister of agriculture, Abu Zaid imposed an embargo on a wide list of agricultural products from Israel in response to a 10-month blockade on Palestinian movement into Israel. [16] According to him "This measure aims to denounce the destruction of Palestinian agriculture by Israel through the blockade of Palestinian territories. [17] Bananas, mangoes, melons, pears, apples, poultry, eggs, cattle, and dairy goods, with the exception of milk, were among the items boycotted. [18]
Zaid met his Israeli Agriculture Minister counterpart Shalom Simhon on 21 August to discuss the Palestinian Authority's ban on Israeli agricultural products. The ban was imposed due to Israeli military actions causing severe damage to Palestinian agriculture. Zaid indicated the ban could be lifted if the Israeli army allows free movement for Palestinian farmers and workers. [19]
Zaid appealed to Arab agriculture ministers for help, noting the ministry's efforts since 1994 to rehabilitate the sector, which were undone by the conflict. He emphasized that these actions have increased unemployment and pushed over 50% of Palestinians below the poverty line. [3]
Advisory role
Zaid ran unsuccessfully this time as under Fatah's banner as part of their Revolutionary Council for Jenin in the 2006Palestine Legislative Council (PLC) elections on the Fatah list in which he received 23,800 votes; lost by a 3250 margin. [8]
Zaid was actively involved in political discussions with rival party Hamas after a year of gruesome fighting and tension in order to restore national Palestinian unity. [20] Zaid headed an envoy whom were the first official Fatah delegation in over a year since the Fatah–Hamas conflict to visit the strip. [20] [21] [22]
Zaid welcomed dialogue for efforts aimed at restoring Palestinian unity [23] with senior Hamas delegation including Ahmed Yousef and Ghazi Hamad and Gaza Governor Muhammad al-Qudwa.
Zaid regularly visited and met with municipal councils asserting Abu Mazen's continued presidency until new elections are held. [24] He also urged Hamas to engage in dialogue and commit to the Egyptian directive for legislative and presidential elections. [25] [26] [27]
Zaid played a role in advocating for the Sixth Fatah General Assembly Conference—the first since 20 years [28] [29] [30]
Zaid highlighted challenges within Fatah, including internal conflicts, the participation of Gaza members, and the lack of time to resolve issues before the November 29 seventh conference. Zaid criticized inefficiencies in addressing organizational problems in both Gaza and the West Bank but noted that preparations for the conference continued to ensure broad representation of Fatah members. [10]
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