Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs (Palestine)
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1994 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Palestine |
| Headquarters | Ramallah, Palestine |
| Minister responsible |
|
| Website | pal-wakf |
The Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs is a government agency in Palestine. The Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs is responsible for organizing and directing religious affairs in Palestine.
Establishment
The Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs was established in 1994 during the beginning of the Palestinian National Authority, following the issuance of a presidential decree by President Yasser Arafat to establish it. Hasan Tahboub assumed the ministerial portfolio as the first minister of the ministry.[1]
Functions
The Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs undertakes many tasks, the most important of which is to take care of religious affairs while maintaining the moderation of the curriculum, and to preserve, develop and develop the properties of the endowment.[2]
List of ministers
| # | Name | Party | Government | Term start | Term end | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hasan Tahboub | Independent | 1, 2 | 5 July 1994 | 27 April 1998 | |
| Vacant | 2, 3 | 27 April 1998 | 13 June 2002 | |||
| 2 | Yasser Arafat | Fatah | 4 | 13 June 2002 | 29 October 2002 | Serving President |
| Vacant | 5, 6 | 29 October 2002 | 7 October 2003 | |||
| 3 | Ahmed Qurei | Fatah | 7, 8 | 7 October 2003 | 24 February 2005 | Serving Prime Minister |
| 4 | Yousef Juma Salameh | Independent | 9 | 24 February 2005 | 29 March 2006 | |
| 5 | Nayef Rajoub | Hamas | 10 | 29 March 2006 | 17 March 2007 | |
| 6 | Hussein Tartouri | Hamas | 11 | 17 March 2007 | 14 June 2007 | |
| 7 | Jamal Bawatneh | Independent | 12 | 14 June 2007 | 19 May 2009 | |
| 8 | Mahmoud al-Habbash | Fatah | 13, 14, 15, 16 | 19 May 2009 | 2 June 2014 | |
| 9 | Youssef Edais | Independent | 17 | 2 June 2014 | 13 April 2019 | |
| 10 | Mohammad Shtayyeh | Fatah | 18 | 13 April 2019 | 1 January 2022 | Serving Prime Minister |
| 11 | Hatem al-Bakri | Independent | 18 | 1 January 2022 | 31 March 2024 | |
| 12 | Muhammad Mustafa Najm | Independent | 19 | 31 March 2024 | Incumbent |