Majed Faraj

Majed Faraj (Arabic: ماجد فرج; born 28 February 1963) is a Palestinian intelligence officer with the rank of major general and politician who has served as the director of the General Intelligence Service (GIS) since 2009, and on the Central Committee of Fatah since 2026. A close associate of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, Faraj is considered one of his most likely successors. An activist in his youth, he initially aligned himself with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine as a teenager. He later joined the Fatah, founding its youth organization. After spending six years in Israeli prisons for his activities, he joined the Palestinian Authority's intelligence services shortly after its establishment. He was appointed director of the GIS in September 2009, forging close relations with the American Central Intelligence Agency and the Israeli Shin Bet. These relations have earned him international backing for succeeding Abbas, but have made him a controversial figure in Palestine.