Jabril Rajoub

(1953 - )

The head of the Preventive Security Service in the West Bank, Rajoub leads one of the most powerful of the Palestinian Authority's various security agencies and has several thousand officers under his command. Rajoub, 48, earned his credentials on the Palestinian street after spending years in Israeli jails, where he also learned to speak Hebrew. He was later deported to Lebanon and then followed the PLO leadership into exile in Tunisia. From Tunis, he helped coordinate the first Palestinian intifada, or uprising, against Israeli occupation, beginning in 1987. Rajoub has been a negotiator on security issues with the Israelis under U.S. mediation. Known for his gravelly voice and dour expression, he has been frequently interviewed by Israeli media since the start of the latest Palestinian uprising.