Hanan Daoud Mikhael Ashrawi (born October 8, 1946, in Nablus, Mandatory Palestine) is a prominent Palestinian politician, activist, scholar, human rights defender, and spokesperson. She emerged as a key figure in Palestinian nationalism during the First Intifada in the late 1980s, serving as the official spokesperson for the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid Peace Conference in 1991 and later as Minister of Higher Education in the Palestinian Authority from 1996 to 1998. Ashrawi has been a longstanding member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee since 2009 and the Palestinian Legislative Council, where she has advocated for Palestinian rights and criticized Israeli policies. Her academic background includes teaching English literature at Birzeit University, where she also served as dean of the Faculty of Arts and later as chair of the board of trustees. Ashrawi is known for her eloquent media presence and has been a vocal critic of Israeli occupation, often engaging in international diplomacy and advocacy. Throughout her career, Ashrawi has been involved in numerous controversies related to her political stances. She has been accused of anti-Israel propaganda, including a 2001 statement claiming 'Jesus was a Palestinian,' which drew widespread criticism for historical revisionism. More recently, as reported in 2023-2024 sources, Ashrawi denied that Hamas committed sexual assaults during the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, and has defended Hezbollah and justified the lynching of Israeli soldiers in past statements. These positions have led to adversarial relationships, such as attacks from figures like Yigal Carmon of MEMRI, and have resulted in severed ties, such as Harvard University cutting relations with Birzeit University in 2025 partly due to her leadership. Despite these allegations, Ashrawi maintains her role as a defender of Palestinian causes and has faced no known criminal convictions, though her rhetoric has been condemned by pro-Israel groups for promoting terrorism or sanitizing violence. Ashrawi's influence extends through her scholarly work and family ties in Palestinian society, though details on personal life remain limited in public records. She continues to reside in the West Bank and engages in global forums, embodying a blend of academic rigor and political activism that shapes networks of Palestinian advocacy.