Saeb Erekat

(1955 - )

Saeb Erekat has been negotiating the interim agreement of the Oslo peace process with Israel since it's signing in 1995. In 1996, Yasser Arafat appointed Erekat to head the Palestinian Negotiation Steering and Monitoring Committee.

Erekat holds the post of Minister of Local Government in the Palestinian Authority. He was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) in 1996 on the Fatah slate representing Jericho.

Born in Jerusalem in 1955, Erekat obtained his M.A. in Political Science from the University of San Francisco and his doctorate in Peace Studies from England's Bradford University. He returned to lecture in Political Science at the An-Najah University in the West Bank town of Nablus.

A former journalist, Erekat served for 12 years on the editorial board of Al-Quds newspaper, the Palestinian daily.

Erekat is the author of eight books and numerous research papers on foreign policy, oil and conflict resolution. He also served as secretary general of the Arab Studies Society.