After years of uncertainty and internal struggle, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has finally named a successor: Hussein al-Sheikh. But the move – carried out quietly and without following formal protocols – has angered many Palestinians.
Without consulting political leaders beyond his immediate circle, Abbas determined that al-Sheikh, his long-time deputy, would take over if he became unable to serve. The decision comes amid mounting pressure for reform within the PA and as the US administration pushes ahead with its vision for the region, leaving the Palestinian leadership more isolated than ever.
“Picking al-Sheikh is seen by many Palestinians as a source of concern, not relief,” Ali Abu Sarhan, a Palestinian commentator and political activist, told The Jerusalem Report.
“Will the Palestinian people benefit from that? Will that solve their problems?” he asked. “The answer is no.”
Avoiding succession
For decades, Abbas avoided addressing the question of his successor, despite repeated calls from Washington to establish a clear and orderly transition that would preserve stability in the West Bank and prevent chaos when he eventually leaves the scene.
Some believe he feared that naming a successor would signal the beginning of the end of his presidency and embolden rivals to challenge his authority. But now, with a shifting regional landscape, a growing sense of urgency, and having just turned 90, Abbas appears to have felt he had little choice.
“President [Donald] Trump wants strong leadership in Ramallah. He is looking for a powerful figure who can help make the changes he seeks in the region,” Abu Sarhan said. “The American president doesn’t want to waste time. He needs to push ahead with his vision and wants someone who can get things done, someone who can be trusted.
“Are Abu Mazen [Abbas’s commonly used nickname] and al-Sheikh a good fit for that?” he asked. “For 20 years, we’ve been stuck with the same agendas and no elections; the situation for the Palestinian people hasn’t changed much.”
Abu Sarhan noted the wave of criticism stirred by Abbas’s unilateral appointment of al-Sheikh, which was labelled as a “constitutional declaration” rather than the result of an orderly political process.
“That’s why people view it as illegitimate,” he said. “It’s like many other important steps he took in the past in the form of ‘presidential decrees’ after he had dismantled the legislative council [the Palestinian Parliament] a few years ago.”
Leading without support
That sense of illegitimacy is also reflected in public attitudes. Al-Sheikh, 65, has been notably absent from polls, largely because most surveys include only candidates with more than 2% support.
“Hussein al-Sheikh is not welcome in the Palestinian public. He doesn’t represent our cause, and he has no history of fighting for it,” said Mohammed Yahya of Jenin.
Yahya said al-Sheikh’s appointment felt imposed on the people.
“He has no real presence or support,” he said. “Abu Mazen’s decision to push al-Sheikh forward does not come from law or public will.”
“There are qualified leaders within Fatah who are far more suitable,” Yahya added. “The Palestinian leadership and the Israeli leadership both must be replaced if we want to achieve anything.”
Although al-Sheikh is widely unpopular among Palestinians – largely due to allegations of corruption and nepotism – he is acceptable to Israeli and American officials, owing to his years as the Palestinian minister responsible for civic coordination with Israel.
He also enjoys the trust of Abbas, who appointed him head of the PLO Executive Committee in 2022 and, more recently, as his vice president. Abbas, who now spends most of his time in Ramallah, also relies on al-Sheikh to manage high-level discussions and represent the Palestinian leadership internationally, including in dialogue with the Americans.
In recent months, al-Sheikh has met with Arab leaders to discuss post-war arrangements for Gaza and has held talks with former British prime minister Tony Blair, who is expected to head Trump’s Peace Board overseeing reconstruction in the war-torn territory, though his exact role remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, the PA continues to struggle for recognition as the authority that would govern Gaza in any future arrangement, even as it insists that Gaza and the West Bank remain a single political unit.
No elections
Al-Sheikh’s appointment introduces a new mechanism allowing him to fulfill presidential duties for up to 90 days, during which elections are supposed to take place. If elections cannot be held within that period, the Palestinian Central Council may grant an extension.
A Palestinian source speaking anonymously due to safety concerns noted that, as of this writing, “no procedures or preparations for the election process have begun.”
While some believe the move was forced on Abbas, others argue he acted out of personal interest, seeking to preserve his own power and that of his loyalists. Some also believe that the PA president rushed to solidify his position out of fear that foreign leaders, including the Americans, intend to replace him and his close allies with new leadership.
Others say Abbas wanted to ensure that his successor would come from his inner circle rather than from among his rivals. They point to comments by Trump urging Israel to consider releasing Marwan Barghouti, the influential Fatah leader imprisoned for more than 20 years so far out of five life sentences for involvement in terror attacks. Barghouti, who enjoys near-mythical standing among Palestinians, is also one of Abbas’s chief challengers.
A recent poll by leading Palestinian pollster Prof. Khalil Shikaki found that if elections were held today, 49% of Palestinians would vote for Barghouti, 36% for Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, and just 13% for Mahmoud Abbas. A striking 80% said they wanted Abbas to resign.
Risk of fragmentation
“We need a leader who does not divide us. What Abu Mazen has done [by appointing al-Sheikh] only intensifies the strain and rifts inside Fatah – and that can yield bad results for the movement,” Abu Sarhan said.
He warned that the ruling Palestinian party’s failure to address the daily needs of the people is driving many – especially the younger generation – toward radicalism.
“People are fed up and want elections,” he said. “The youth feel that nobody cares about them, and that’s why they might turn to Hamas – not because they love the organization, but because they want to take revenge on those from Fatah who have neglected them.”
“Abu Mazen and Hussein al-Sheikh seem focused only on staying in power, while the public suffers,” said Musa Halaika from the village of Shuyukh near Hebron.
“Lives have been devastated since October 7. Many people have lost their income, and the economic situation is dire. The Oslo Accords have become a charade; more territory is expropriated by settlers,” he said.
“With Gaza in ruins and people in the West Bank struggling, it’s not normal for leaders to put their own interests above those of the people,” he said, “especially when the public doesn’t want them.”
Halaika said that if Palestinian leaders truly cared about their people, they would hold elections and “let the public decide.” He stressed that Palestinians need a leader capable of unifying the population.
“Any leader should represent all the people and have real legitimacy,” he said.
“Abu Mazen’s one-sided decisions have opened the door to tension, divisions, and the risk of internal strife,” he warned. “At its most extreme, it could lead to anarchy – with no control over what might happen next.”■