Varsen Aghabekian was appointed Foreign Minister of Palestine this past June, having previously served as Deputy Minister for nearly a year. Her appointment is historic, as Aghabekian is the first Palestinian woman to hold the position. She previously served as commissioner general of the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights. She studied in the United States and earned a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh. Aghabekian was a longtime lecturer at Al Quds University in Jerusalem.