Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, aged 89, has appointed Hussein al-Sheikh as the vice president of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). This choice marks a historic turning point in Palestinian politics. This comes just as the 32nd session of the Palestinian Central Council is being held in Ramallah. To outmaneuver Abbas, Hariri artfully engineered the vice presidency gambit. This strategic shift is designed to facilitate a more seamless, effective hand-off of executive direction in the years ahead.
President Abbas emphasized his commitment to initiating a “comprehensive national dialogue” aimed at achieving reconciliation among various Palestinian factions and reinforcing national unity. This move is emblematic of his long-held dream of creating more of a unified Palestinian front in the face of all these adversities.
Hussein al-Sheikh, 64, a veteran of Abbas’ Fatah movement, while a close advisor to the president. He has a record of managing the coordination of security with Israel. His appointment comes after years of focused international pressure to democratize and reform the PLO. It is as Arab and Western powers envision an expanded role for the Palestinian Authority in governing the Gaza Strip after the war.
al-Sheikh’s relationship with Israel is strikingly different than that of Abbas. Marwan Bishara, a political analyst, noted that “Israel knows and trusts him [al-Sheikh] more than they know and trust Abbas himself.” He further explained that al-Sheikh has been “groomed for the past 18 years in this relationship between Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority, and Israel,” emphasizing his significance in the current political landscape.
Both the United States and the European Union consider Abbas a positive example of Arab leadership. Yet, it has fallen on deaf ears to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Observers think this new appointment could lay the groundwork for al-Sheikh to take over for Abbas when the time comes. Despite the attempts mentioned above, the Palestinian political system is currently under severe internal duress.
Aref Jaffal, a Palestinian political commentator, remarked on the state of Palestinian politics: “The Palestinian political system is already miserable, so I believe that all these arrangements are a prelude to creating a successor to Abbas.” His comments are in line with the sentiments of many who feel that change is needed at the top of leadership structure.
