Majed Faraj

Major General Majed Faraj (ماجد فرج) is the head of General Intelligence Service (GIS) and a member of Fatah‘s Revolutionary Council.

Faraj is the only security chief with a political role and has been involved in Palestinian negotiations with Israel and the United States. He is one of Abbas’s closest confidants and is seen a possible successor. He has also been part of Fatah’s delegation in reconciliation talks with Hamas, responsible for the security file.

In March 2018 Faraj was the target of an assassination attempt while visiting the Gaza Strip along with Rami Hamdallah, the prime minister of Palestinian Authority (PA).

Majed Faraj was born 1963 in the Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem where he still has strong ties. As a youth, he was one of Fatah’s most prominent activists and was arrested by Israel many times. While in Israeli prison, he learned Hebrew.

Faraj became a member of Preventative Security following the PA’s establishment in 1994. He was appointed head of the Military Intelligence in 2007 and head of the GIS in September 2009.

He has good relations with the US and Israel. In a rare media interview, he boasted about security coordination with Israel and how his forces have stopped attacks against Israeli targets.

In 2002, his father was killed by Israeli forces during an incursion in Bethlehem.