Personal Info
- Country of residence: Portugal
Information
Islam Muhammad Haidar Al-Taweel was born in Al-Bireh on October 24, 1979. He is married and has three children. He completed his primary education at Al-Mughtaribeen Primary School and the Sharia School, and his secondary education at the Sharia School, graduating in the science track in 1998. He earned a bachelor's degree in computer science from Birzeit University in 2002 and a master's degree in business administration from the same university in 2018. He worked as a programmer at Al-Rahal Information Technology Company in Ramallah, then as a computer engineer at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from 2002 to 2005. He then worked for the Jerusalem Water Authority in 2005 and as an electronics consultant at Radio Ram from 2007 to 2008. He founded several companies, including Palestine Technological Systems Company in 2006, which specializes in importing and selling electronic devices; Jerusalem Technology Company in 2011; and Skyline Company, specializing in automotive mechanics, in 2018.
He became involved in student activism during his university studies , playing an awareness-raising role in the city of Al-Bireh. He became a respected community leader and a mediator in disputes between families and those with vested economic interests. He formed the "Al-Bireh Unites Us" list for the 2022 Al-Bireh municipal elections, and his list won, resulting in his election as mayor. He was also active in sports, organizing sporting events.
Al-Taweel believes that the Palestinian issue can only be resolved with the end of the occupation. He argues that all concessions made throughout the peace process have been met with intransigence from the occupation. He believes the Oslo Accords have proven a failure, as they involve the erosion of many fundamental rights of the Palestinian people while granting Israel significant powers. Al-Taweel attributes the primary cause of the division to political rivalries and a lack of a clear vision for the future among the parties involved. He holds the Palestinian Authority largely responsible, arguing that those in power must be inclusive of all opinions and parties, overlooking minor details for the sake of national unity. He calls for an end to the division, especially since Israel is the primary beneficiary.
He believes ending the division requires all parties to compromise on some demands and prioritize the higher national interest over factional interests. He also stresses that no Palestinian faction or party should be beholden to any external entity, as such dependence is the root cause of the division. He demands legislative elections to grant legitimacy to those who will lead the next phase and calls for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to encompass all political factions. The Palestinian, and to be a true representative of the Palestinian people, and he believes that resistance in all its forms is the only way to defeat the occupation, and he believes in the complete liberation of historical Palestine, but that, according to his vision, is conditional on resistance, firmness of position and unity of ranks, and if there is a phased liberation of the lands of 1967 it will be acceptable temporarily, but the right of return and choosing the place and method of return is the choice of the refugees alone.
Al-Tawil describes the Arab situation as an Arab Spring that arose from the reality of injustice and oppression experienced by the Arab peoples and was proceeding on the right path, but it was thwarted by the Western and Israeli system.
Al-Taweel suffered throughout his life; he was arrested by the occupation four times under administrative detention, subjected to harsh interrogation, and spent two years in the occupation’s prisons.
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