Hussein al-Sheikh

Hussein al-Sheikh is a Palestinian politician who has served as the first vice president of Palestine since 26 April 2025. He has also served as the secretary general of the Executive Committee of the [Palestine Liberation Organization] from 25 May 2022 to 26 April 2025.

Biography

Hussein al-Sheikh was born in Ramallah on 14 December 1960 during a period of the Jordanian annexation of [the West Bank]. He spent 11 years in Israeli prisons during his youth, during which he learned Hebrew.

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.
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.
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. Al-Sheikh's appointment was controversial, with many Palestinians seeing him as unpopular, corrupt, and too close to Israel.