Hussein al-Sheikh currently serves as secretary-general of the Executive Committee, the PLO’s senior and most limited body, and is known for his close ties with Israel and the United States.
Top Abbas aide Hussein al-Sheikh tapped as first ever PLO vice president
Al-Sheikh, who is known for his close ties with Israel and US, gets boost in succession battle for control over the Palestinian Authority when its 89-year-old incumbent leader dies
The Palestine Liberation Organization on Saturday announced the appointment of a top aide to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as its first-ever vice president. His elevation to deputy head of the PLO Executive Committee is expected to strengthen his position in the succession battle for control over the PA when the 89-year-old Abbas dies.
In his new post, al-Sheikh will also be referred to as the vice president of the State of Palestine, which the Palestinians hope will one day receive full international recognition.
The selection of al-Sheikh as vice president came two days after the PLO announced the creation of the office, as Abbas seeks greater relevance and a role in postwar planning for the Gaza Strip after having been largely sidelined by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Analyst Aref Jaffal said the new role was created to pave the way for someone to take the reins from Abbas, “as there are many things the Palestinian situation requires.”
“The Palestinian political system is already miserable, so I believe that all these arrangements are a prelude to creating a successor to Abbas,” Jaffal, the director of the Al-Marsad Election Monitoring Center, told AFP.
Born in the West Bank city of Ramallah, al-Sheikh, 64, is among Abbas’s closest aides and confidants. He is responsible for civilian affairs, making him one of the Palestinian Authority’s most powerful figures and the primary contact with Israel.
- Al-Sheikh spent 11 years in Israeli prisons in his youth, where he learned Hebrew, and is a veteran of the Palestinian security forces — experiences that could give him credibility with Palestinian security figures and the broader public.
- His office is responsible for arranging coveted travel permits allowing Palestinians to enter Israel for work and medical care. This gives him tremendous influence over everyday Palestinians and his political rivals, who rely on him to maintain their own VIP privileges.
It has also made him a controversial figure. As Israel has deepened its control over the West Bank, the PA is seen as ineffective, corrupt and serving as a subcontractor for Israel. Al-Sheikh is one of the most prominent symbols of this system.
In a 2022 interview with The Associated Press, he said he had no choice but to cooperate with Israel to help the Palestinians in difficult circumstances.
- While unpopular at home, Al-Sheikh could benefit from the international connections he has made over the years.
Though the appointment as vice president makes him the front-runner to succeed Abbas, the job is not guaranteed. Abbas still has authority over his vice president and can fire him if he is unhappy with his performance.
If Abbas dies or becomes incapacitated, al-Sheikh would only move into the presidency in a caretaker role. The PLO’s executive committee will ultimately need to choose a permanent successor.
Filled with rivals and other contenders for the presidency, there is no guarantee the committee will line up behind al-Sheikh.
The PLO is the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinian people and oversees the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited autonomy in less than half of the West Bank. The two entities have become increasingly synonymous over the past two decades as Abbas has led them both after being democratically elected in 2005.
- Polls in recent years have shown plummeting support for him and his Fatah party, while the terror group Hamas has increased in popularity.
Western and Arab donor countries have demanded reforms in the PA for it to play a role in postwar Gaza. The authority is deeply unpopular and faces long-standing allegations of corruption and poor governance. Appointing an heir apparent could be aimed at appeasing his critics.
Hamas, which won the last national elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council in 2006, is not in the PLO. Hamas seized control of Gaza from Abbas’s forces in 2007, and reconciliation attempts between the rivals have repeatedly failed.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
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