Hussein al-Sheikh (Arabic: حسين الشيخ; born 14 December 1960) is a Palestinian politician who has served as the first vice president of Palestine since 26 April 2025.[1] He has also served as the secretary general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) since 2022.[2]
Hussein al-Sheikh | |
|---|---|
حسين الشيخ | |
 Al-Sheikh in 2022 | |
| 1st Vice President of Palestine | |
| Assumed office 26 April 2025 | |
| President | Mahmoud Abbas |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 December 1960 |
| Political party | Fatah |
| Website | Official website |
Biography
Hussein al-Sheikh was born in Ramallah on 14 December 1960 during a period of the Jordanian annexation of the West Bank.[3] He spent 11 years in Israeli prisons during his youth, during which he learned Hebrew.[4]
Political career
Al-Sheikh headed he General Authority of Civil Affairs of the Palestinian National Authority since 2007. He was first elected as a member of the Central Committee of Fatah in 2008.[5]
On 25 June 2022, the Executive Committee of the PLO reaffirmed al-Sheikh as secretary general and head of the Negotiations Affairs Department of the PLO.[6]
On 25 April 2025, Mahmoud Abbas, the President of Palestine, appointed al-Sheikh as Vice President and deputy chairman of the Executive Committee of the PLO.[1] Al-Sheikh's appointment was controiversial, with many Palestinians seeing him as unpopular, corrupt, and too close to Israel.[7][8][9]
References
- ^ a b "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has appointed a new deputy in a major step in naming a successor". Associated Press. 26 April 2025. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "President Abbas names Hussein Al-Sheikh Secretary-General of PLO". The Palestine News Agency. 26 May 2022. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
- ^ "A New Palestinian Leader Rises in the West Bank. He's Very Unpopular". The New York Times. 15 July 2022. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
- ^ "A look at the PLO's new vice president, Hussein al-Sheikh". AP News. 27 April 2025. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
- ^ "The Ramallah 'gentleman' who could become PA president". The Jerusalem Post. 24 January 2022. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
- ^ "PLO's Executive Committee reaffirms President Abbas as Chairman, al-Sheikh as secretary-general". The Palestine News Agency. 25 June 2022. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
- ^ Yohanan, Nurit (2 May 2025). "Unpopular on the street, Abbas pick for potential successor may not be heir apparent". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ^ "Power, Scandal, and Politics: Hussein al-Sheikh's Rise to the Top of the Palestinian Authority". Quds News Network. 27 April 2025. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
Al-Sheikh's rise to power has not been without scandal. In February 2022, reports surfaced that he had been involved in sexual misconduct and corruption. These allegations included claims that al-Sheikh had concealed millions of dollars intended for Gaza's reconstruction and had profited from issuing permits to enter Israel, generating significant financial gains. Furthermore, he was accused of attempting to silence a victim of sexual assault by offering money to buy their silence.
- ^ Boxerman, Adam Rasgon, Aaron (31 July 2023). "The Palestinian Leader Who Survived the Death of Palestine". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
Israeli power brokers admire Sheikh as a pragmatic partner with an uncanny ability to find common ground. "He's our man in Ramallah," said one retired senior Israeli security official who requested anonymity due to an ongoing role in Israeli intelligence as a reservist. Many Palestinians, however, argue his approach has only reinforced the conflict's status quo — a seemingly endless military occupation now in its sixth decade.
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