Mohammad Barghouti was the Minister of Local Government in the Palestinian Authority coalition cabinet

Palestinian government of March 2007

The Palestinian national unity government formed on March 17, 2007 was a Palestinian cabinet headed by Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, founded following Saudi-sponsored negotiations in Mecca. On June 14 2007, Following the Hamas military takeover of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian President...

. He held the post of Labor Minister in the previous cabinet. Mohammad Barghouti was arrested by Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

 on June 29, 2006 as part of Israel's Operation Summer Rains. Mohammad Bargouti was on his way to a village north of Ramallah

Ramallah

Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...

when his car was stopped by jeeps and placed under arrest. He was released on August 14, 2006.