[citation needed] Barkat served in the Paratroopers Brigade of the Israel Defense Forces for six years (1977–1983), as well as reserve duty, and reached the rank of major.

In 2007, Barkat took part in the Israeli version of Dragons' Den, the venture-capitalist television program, which consists of entrepreneurs pitching their ideas in order to secure investment from business experts.

In 1999, the Barkat family began to explore the educational gaps in Jerusalem through their investment in The Snunit Center for the Advancement of Web Based Learning, a non-profit, non-governmental organization which uses web based resources to improve online education and improve personal and social growth within the Israeli society.

He also vowed to make city council more approachable and transparent and decried the use of the mayors office a stepping stone to national politics.

[26] In 2013, he ran for a second term, during which he was endorsed by the Labor Party, and also by a range of prominent Likud activists; he also had the tacit support of Meretz, which withdrew its candidate, Pepe Alalu, in order not to steal votes away from Barkat.

[29] Barkat was re-elected with 52% of the vote[30] compared to his main opponent Moshe Lion former head of the Jerusalem Development Authority, who ran as the Likud candidate who garnered 43% of the electorate.

[34] Controversies of his second term included the Formula 1 exhibition,[35] part of the mayor's effort to raise Jerusalem's status as a cultural capital of the world and increase tourism.

The Jerusalem Formula One event took place in 2013[36] and in 2014 but garnered criticism for street closures which led to school cancellations, over expenditures, and its appropriateness for the city.

[39][40] Barkat also had a long-running feud with Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon over funding which led to city-wide strikes several years in a row.

[54] Laura Wharton, a member of Jerusalem City Council, complained about the illegal modesty signs, but claims she was brushed off.

Barkat succeeded in physically subduing the attacker, with the Mayoral security detail coming in immediately afterward and the victim receiving first aid.

The Tzahal Square incident prompted responses from figures such as former Israeli ambassador to the United States Michael Oren, who stated that Barkat had "courageously" acted, as well as commentators on Facebook who shared tongue-in-cheek images depicting Barkat as Batman, Neo, and other film characters.

[1] After the Israeli military police in July 2024 visited Sde Teiman detention camp to detain nine Israeli soldiers suspected of abuse of a Palestinian prisoner, Barkat declared: "I support our fighters and call on the defense minister to immediately put a stop to the despicable show trial against them.