Unpopular on the street, Abbas pick for potential successor may not be heir apparent
Hussein al-Sheikh named deputy PLO head, but the former liaison to Israel lacks public support and has several possible rivals; he’s only been chosen to help out, Abbas aide claims
Nurit Yohanan is The Times of Israel's Palestinian and Arab world correspondent
The appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh as vice president of the Palestine Liberation Organization marks the first time in decades that a deputy has been named to the post.
While the move does not immediately change the political landscape, it signals that Ramallah is beginning to plan for the day after Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who will turn 90 this year.
Al-Sheikh was named to the post on Saturday following a vote by the 16-member PLO Executive Committee. Though ostensibly the PLO’s most important council, the body is tightly controlled by Abbas, who also heads the PLO, effectively making the decision to appoint al-Sheikh his alone.
The move has been widely seen as the most concrete step yet taken by Abbas to name a successor, avoiding a possible battle over the Palestinian leadership that many fear could erupt once the aging PA president steps down or shuffles off this mortal coil.
Importantly, however, the decree naming al-Sheikh to the post stops short of granting him formal succession powers.
Mahmoud al-Habbash, a senior adviser to Abbas, rejected the idea that Abbas was attempting to name an heir, describing al-Sheikh’s role as more of an aide than a leader-in-waiting.
The move is “a positive and important step,” Habbash told The Times of Israel. “It will strengthen Palestinian political activity and assist [Abbas] in carrying out his duties.”
He noted, “The deputy is not a replacement for the chairman but will assist him as needed.”
Fatah roots
Al-Sheikh, 64, was born in Ramallah, where he has lived his entire life, though before 1948 his family was from the village of Deir Tarif in what is now central Israel. He joined the Fatah movement as a teenager and spent 11 years in Israeli prison between 1978 and 1989 for his role in a Fatah cell involved in attacks against Israel.
During the First Intifada (1987-1993), al-Sheikh emerged as a mid-level political figure within the Palestinian territories.
In 1993, he was made a lieutenant colonel in the security forces of the newly formed Palestinian Authority, serving in the role for three years before returning to politics.
Al-Sheikh became secretary general of the PLO Executive Committee in 2022, replacing senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, who had held the role until his death in 2020.
Perhaps his most prominent role, though, was as the PA’s civil affairs minister, which effectively made him Ramallah’s liaison with Israel — and, by extension, the United States. Fluent in Hebrew, Al-Sheikh held numerous meetings over the years with senior Israeli and American officials.
He held the position for 18 years until February, when he was suddenly removed by Abbas. No reason for the move was given, and there were no reports of tensions between the two.
Al-Sheikh has remained a close confidant of Abbas, frequently participating in major international meetings with the PA leader and hosting regular meetings with foreign diplomats.
Selection or election?
The appointment of al-Sheikh to the post of vice president marks the first time such a role has been filled since 1969, when Ibrahim Bakr was named as deputy chairman under then-PLO leader Yasser Arafat. He left the post after less than a year, and the position has remained vacant since.
Though the installation of al-Sheikh into the post would appear to put him in pole position for the Palestinian leadership post-Abbas, his prospects remain uncertain.
Habbash maintained that whoever eventually replaces Abbas will be chosen via national ballot.
“The president must be elected by the people, through general and direct elections — not through appointments,” he said.
Formally, control of the PLO — which encompasses most Palestinian factions, except Hamas and Islamic Jihad — rests with the Palestinian National Council, comprising approximately 300 members, and the 16-member Executive Committee. Practically, Abbas, who has led the PLO for over 20 years alongside his roles as head of the PA and Fatah, exerts absolute control.
The body was once the sole representative of the Palestinian people internationally, but its power has been diminished with the advent of the PA as a Palestinian proto-government, and today it holds mainly symbolic internal significance.
Both Abbas and his predecessor Arafat led both the PLO and the PA. Abbas was elected in 2005 to a five year-term that is now in its 20th year.
Should a vote take place, al-Sheikh would face an uphill battle due to a severe lack of public support. His close and longstanding cooperation with Israeli and American officials has led to accusations of collaboration and betrayal on Palestinian social media.
His long tenure overseeing entry permits to Israel for Palestinian workers has also drawn allegations of favoritism and corruption. His name was also linked in the past to sexual harassment claims.
Several potential contenders enjoy higher levels of public support, including Fatah Central Committee Secretary General Jibril Rajoub and Mahmoud al-Aloul, who is deputy head of the Fatah party steering committee.
Abbas, who has repeatedly promised elections only to cancel them for various reasons, may see al-Sheikh behind closed doors as a potential successor, highlighting a growing disconnect between the Palestinian political leadership and the street.
Arafat, despite his flaws, retained throughout his life widespread popularity among Palestinians. Abbas, though cleaner in reputation, has struggled with public legitimacy. Al-Sheikh, representing neither the founding generation nor the broader public, may find it even harder to bridge the widening gap.
Pressure for reform
In November, Abbas issued a presidential decree naming Rawhi Fattouh as his interim successor in the event he becomes incapacitated or passes away.
Fattouh, 75, is only marginally younger than Abbas and remains largely unknown and unpopular among Palestinians, but his selection may block Aziz Dweik, a senior Hamas figure in the West Bank, from taking over under rules established by the PA’s bylaws.
In contrast, Abbas’s decision to appoint a deputy is seen as a response to growing Arab and US pressure for reforms within the PA, including the promotion of younger leadership ahead of a potential succession.
Demands for change intensified following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack as the US and others in the international committee backed the prospect of a reformed PA taking control of Gaza following the war there.
In March 2024, Abbas appeared to answer some of those demands, dissolving the PA government and appointing a new, nonpartisan technocratic cabinet led by economist Mohammad Mustafa, moves that drew praise even though they were seen as largely cosmetic.
Nearly a month later, in February 2025, Abbas rescinded a decree ordering the payment of welfare stipends to Palestinians imprisoned in Israel for terror offenses. However, The Times of Israel has learned from Palestinian sources close to the prisoners that in recent months the families of prisoners have continued to receive payments as usual.
Long in the tooth, Abbas may also be projecting an image of change with his personal legacy in mind.
After al-Sheikh was named, United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan phoned to congratulate him, a rare contact reflecting improved ties between Ramallah and Abu Dhabi, which has been particularly vocal among Gulf states in urging extensive reforms to bolster the PA’s credibility.
Saudi Arabia also welcomed the appointment, calling it a “reform” that would “strengthen Palestinian political action and contribute to the efforts… to establish an independent Palestinian state.”
The Times of Israel Community.