Australia/Israel Review

The Central Council of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) was set to meet on April 23 and 24 to establish, for the first time, the position of Deputy President of the PLO, who also functions as the Deputy President of the non-existent “State of Palestine”. The move is the latest step in a series of decisions adopted by Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas since 2018 to ensure that his Fatah party continues to rule the PA without a hint of a democratic process. Should 89-year-old Abbas be incapable of fulfilling his function as head of the PLO, his deputy would simply step into his shoes.

While the Council and Abbas may merely create the position without filling it, there is considerable speculation that Abbas will appoint the Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the PLO, Hussein Al-Sheikh, to the position.

For years, Abbas has been grooming Al-Sheikh as a potential successor, putting him at the forefront of discussions with Israel and even using him to set the stage for the cancellation of the PA general elections meant to take place in May 2021. 

Since Al-Sheikh will potentially inherit such a substantial position, knowing who he is, what he has done, and some of his opinions, is important.

Al-Sheikh was born in Ramallah in 1960. He joined Fatah during his teen years, and according to his official PLO webpage, was imprisoned by Israel as a “political prisoner” – a Palestinian euphemism for convicted terrorist – “for 11 years, between 1978 and 1989.” 

After being released from prison, Al-Sheikh continued his membership in Fatah, filling different positions.

On March 21, 2002, a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up in downtown Jerusalem, murdering three people – Tzipi and Gad Shemesh (who were returning home after a pregnancy exam) and Yitzchak Cohen. Dozens were injured.

The attack was planned by two Fatah terrorists – Abd El-Karim Aweis and Nasser Shawish. Aweis explained in his confession (under interrogation and in court) how the attack was carried out. He and Shawish obtained the explosives for the suicide belt from the then-head of the PA General Intelligence Service, Tawfik Tirawi.

Aweis added that on the morning of the attack, he, Shawish, and the suicide bomber went to the offices of Al-Sheikh, who was then the General Secretary of Fatah in Judea and Samaria. While the suicide belt was already prepared, Al-Sheikh handed the suicide bomber money and two hand grenades.

Al-Sheikh was never arrested for his involvement and contribution to the murders. 

Al-Sheikh “bows” before the family of terrorist murderers

In Palestinian society, the family of Latifa Abu-Hamid enjoys a special status. The infamy is not the result of the outstanding contribution of the family to Palestinian society, but rather a result of the fact that six of the children of the family actively participated in the murder of Jews. The latest son to join the group of murderers was indicted and convicted for the 2018 murder of Israeli soldier Ronen Lyubarsky. When Israel responded to the murder by demolishing the terrorist’s house, it was Al-Sheikh who conveyed Abbas’ commitment to rebuild the house. Visiting the site, Al-Sheikh added, “We bow to this family, its history of struggle, and their heroism.”

When one of the more infamous of the terrorist sons, Nasser Abu-Hamid, responsible for the murder of seven people, died in prison from cancer, Al-Sheikh was quick to join the libel that Israel mistreats Palestinian prisoners. Referring to Abu-Hamid as a “heroic prisoner”, Al-Sheikh promoted the terrorist to the rank of “Major-General”. Al-Sheikh added, “What interests us now is that we sent a direct request to hand over his body to his family, his friends, and his people, so that they will honour him as is fitting for a Martyr and fitting for his family, the fighting family… all words are dumbstruck before the greatness of this family and this mother.”

Calls to unite with Hamas

Just a few months before the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre, Al-Sheikh reiterated his call for the PA and Hamas to bridge their gaps.

In an interview on Palestinian television, Al-Sheikh called on all the Palestinian national “factions” to create a broad front against what he called “the Israeli aggression”. He added his hope that the dialogue between the PA and Hamas will succeed since “You need to fight this enemy [Israel] on all fronts, in all arenas, without exception. You need to fight it on the ground and in the international organisations and authorities.” 

Even after the October 7 massacre, Al-Sheikh continued to refer to Hamas as “brothers”. When Israel eliminated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in July 2024, Al-Sheikh made sure to publicise on his X account that he had contacted another Hamas leader, Khaled Mashaal, to convey his condolences, including saying the “martyrdom” of Haniyeh “constituted a great loss for the Palestinian people.”

Al-Sheikh and the Palestinian street

Despite having all the potential qualifications to become a Palestinian leader – as a terrorist who spent time in an Israeli prison, and as the son of a family of refugees – Al-Sheikh does not enjoy broad Palestinian popularity or support. When Abbas appointed him to the position of Secretary-General of the PLO Executive Committee, only 26% of voters supported the move. In surveys conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research in the run-up to the PA elections that were meant to take place in 2021 before Abbas cancelled them, Al-Sheikh’s name was not even mentioned as a potential leader. 

Lt.-Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch served as Director of the Military Prosecution for Judea and Samaria, and after retiring from the military, as an advisor to the Israeli Ministry of Defence. © Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA, jcpa.org), reprinted by permission, all rights reserved.