Born in 1957 in Nablus, Palestine, Ambassador Izzat Abdulhadi was the founding director general of Bisan Center for Research and Development, a leading NGO in efforts to strengthen civil society and promote cultural development, prior to joining the Palestinian diplomatic corps. In 2006, he was appointed ambassador of Palestine and head of the General Delegation of Palestine to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. He is an active member and general secretary of the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Canberra and holds the post of deputy president of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) heads of mission group. Australian National University students Sarah Barrie and Reece Gittins served as interns at the Palestinian embassy in 2017.