Mosab Hassan Yousef

Mosab Hassan Yousef}} (born 5 May 1978) is an American author and ex-Palestinian militant who defected to Israel in 1997, thereafter working as an Israeli spy for the Shin Bet until he moved to the United States in 2007. His father is Hassan Yousef, a co-founder of the Palestinian Islamist organisation Hamas. A ''New York Times'' bestselling author, he is known for his outspoken criticisms of Hamas, the pro-Palestinian movement and Islam's treatment of non-Muslims.

The Shin Bet considered Yousef to be Israel's most valuable source within the Hamas leadership: the information he supplied allowed Israel to successfully thwart dozens of Palestinian suicide attacks against civilians and prevent the assassinations of many Israeli civilians and soldiers; exposed numerous Hamas cells; and assisted Israeli authorities in hunting down Palestinian militants. His efforts also culminated in the incarceration of his father, who had served as a leading figure for Hamas operations from the West Bank. In March 2010, Yousef published his autobiography, titled ''Son of Hamas''.

In 1999, Yousef converted from Islam to Christianity, being formally baptised in 2004, but did not disclose this fact to the public until 2008 due to fears that his family members in Ramallah would become targets for religious persecution by Islamist groups. In 2007, he left the West Bank and moved to the United States where he applied for political asylum and had his request granted by American authorities in 2010 following Shin Bet handler Gonen Ben Itzhak testifying on his behalf. Yousef has compared Islam to Nazism, has said he has "zero respect for anyone who identifies as Muslim", and accused Muslims of using Palestine as "a device against Israel". Palestinian students and community leaders at university campuses have accused him of Islamophobia, and his speeches have attracted protests both in support of and opposition to his controversial views. Provided by Wikipedia