Personal Info
- Country of residence: Portugal
Information
Rafiq Salem Makki was born in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on January 12, 1959, to a Palestinian family originally from the occupied city of Lod. He is married and has five children. He attended Sheikh Ajlin Elementary School and Al-Zaytoun Preparatory School for his primary education, and Palestine Secondary School for Boys for his secondary education, graduating in 1976. He earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Al-Azhar University in Egypt in 1984. He worked as an engineer for the Gaza Municipality between 1986 and 1992, and as an engineer for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) between 1992 and 2008. He was elected mayor of Gaza City between 2008 and 2014, and became a member of the administrative committee that ran the Gaza Strip. He headed the local government and public works sector in 2017 and was a member of the government's follow-up committee in 2017.
Makki joined the Fatah movement in 1978 and participated in its national activities. He officially joined Hamas in 1996 and was active in the union between (1989-2006), where he was the secretary of the Engineers Syndicate between (1989-1992), a member of the Syndicate’s board of directors between (1992-1995), the deputy head of the Engineers Syndicate between (1998-2000), and the head of the Engineers Syndicate in the Gaza Strip governorates between (2003-2006). He represented the Syndicate in more than one conference inside and outside Palestine. He was a member of the Federation of Arab Engineers between (1996-2006), the International Federation of Engineers, a member of the Global Declaration on Risk Reduction between (2008-2014), and a member of the World Federation of Municipalities between (2008-2014).
Makki embraces Islamic thought. He believes that the Oslo Accords should never have been signed, that their signatories had personal goals far removed from the interests of the Palestinian people, and that they were exploited to stifle resistance and the spirit of jihad, and to give the Zionists cover to achieve their goals. The most dangerous consequence of these accords was the divisions within the Palestinian arena. He believes that internal relations between most factions are improving and reaching consensus, with the exception of Fatah, which is divided against itself and at odds with the other factions. He supports all available forms of resistance and believes that armed resistance has limited the enemy's ambitions, but it cannot achieve everything. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the internal front, develop the scientific aspect, and raise awareness and educate the people. As for the PLO, it no longer exists on the ground, its factions' consultations are merely formal, and the decisions issued by it are individual; it is a document that is only invoked when needed.
Makki calls for a radical shift in Palestinian strategy, especially given the very limited results of armed resistance and negotiations. He argues that the Palestinian people need sound leadership and a clear vision, and that they need to cultivate a skilled, academic, and innovative individual—a fighter—who will lead the liberation struggle. He demands that the interests of the citizen be linked to the homeland, and that energy be channeled into productive resistance to prevent its depletion. He supports a comprehensive liberation solution, viewing the conflict with the enemy as a zero-sum game: either us or them. He believes that resolving the refugee issue will come with liberation, and that the most appropriate solution is to offer refugees the choice between returning or remaining in their current locations with guaranteed rights.
Makki suffered under the occupation; he was arrested in 1980, summoned by the occupation’s intelligence services several times, restricted his union work, and prevented him from traveling for eight years.
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Achievements and Awards
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