Lt. Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch, an expert on the Palestinian Authority (PA), paints a chilling portrait of Hussein al-Sheikh, the man likely to succeed Mahmoud Abbas.
In an in-depth interview, Hirsch explains that the PLO’s Central Council will meet on April 23–24 to create the new role of PLO Vice President — effectively Abbas’s successor. Al-Sheikh, Secretary-General of the PLO Executive Committee, is the frontrunner.
Al-Sheikh, nurtured for years by Abbas, led talks with Israel and helped cancel the PA elections in 2021. A former senior security officer, he was imprisoned in Israel for 11 years for terrorism. His role included providing financial and material support to suicide bombers, including before a deadly 2002 attack in Jerusalem.
Despite serious accusations, including ties to terrorist activities, al-Sheikh was never prosecuted. Instead, he played a key role in the 2007 "wanted men deal," helping Fatah terrorists avoid Israeli pursuit.