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.
When Israel passed laws to freeze PA terrorist payments, al-Sheikh threatened political and security retaliation. He glorified Palestinian terrorists as national heroes, even supporting rebuilding homes of murderers’ families destroyed by Israel.
Al-Sheikh consistently called for Palestinian unity, including with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, labeling them “brothers” even after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre. Following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in 2024, he offered condolences to Hamas figures, calling the event “a great loss to the Palestinian people.”
Hirsch concludes: while al-Sheikh may be marketed as a moderate, he is simply another suited terrorist — glorifying murderers, treating Israel as the enemy, and continuing the PA’s legacy of corruption and terror.
From Israel’s perspective, Hirsch notes: “No one sees al-Sheikh as different from Abbas. He has no new agenda. While Israel’s security establishment may view him as 'manageable' due to past contacts, nothing substantial is expected to change.”