Latest news with #PLOExecutiveCommittee
Saba Yemen
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Hamas: Appointing Sheikh Ignores Our People's Priorities in Confronting Genocide
Gaza - Saba: Hamas said the decision by the PLO Executive Committee to approve the appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh as "Vice President" is a reprehensible step, coming in response to external dictates and consecrating an approach of exclusivity and exclusion, far removed from national consensus and popular will. The movement's statement on Sunday added that the decision reflects the insistence of the PLO's powerful leadership on continuing to paralyze its institutions, rather than serving as a unifying umbrella for our people's struggle and vital forces. The movement stated that the priority of our Palestinian people today is to stop the aggression, the war of genocide and starvation, and to unify efforts to confront the occupation and settlements, not to distribute positions and divide the power pie to please external parties. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Leaders
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Leaders
Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas Appoints First PLO Vice President
The Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, has appointed a new vice president in a significant step to designate a successor. Hussein Al-Sheikh is a long-time aide and close confident to Abbas. His naming as a likely successor to the Palestinian President comes amid growing local and international calls for reforms of the Palestinian Authority (PA) to be able to govern postwar Gaza. First Palestinian Vice President On Saturday, the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) officially approved the appointment of Hussein Al-Sheikh as Deputy Chairman of the PLO Executive Committee and Vice President of Palestine, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. The PLO is the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinian people and oversees the Western-backed PA. Abbas has headed both organizations since the death of Yasser Arafat in 2004 and refused to cede power when his mandate ended in 2009. Succeeding Abbas The appointment of a vice president aligns with a decision made on Thursday by the Palestinian Central Council. Under the decision, the vice president will succeed Abbas in a caretaker capacity if the president dies or becomes incapacitated, according to the Associated Press (AP). This makes Al-Sheikh the front-runner to replace the 89-year-old Abbas. However, the PLO Executive Committee, which is full of veteran politicians and likely competitors, will have to approve his appointment. On the other hand, the speaker of the Palestinians' non-functioning parliament, Rawhi Fattouh, will act as the caretaker leader of the Palestinian Authority (PA), but the body will have to hold elections within 90 days. If that is not possible, the new president of the PLO will likely assume the position. Who is Hussein Al-Sheikh? Hussein Al-Sheikh, 64, is a veteran politician with a decades-long experience. He has assumed multiple senior positions, including the Secretary-General of the PLO Executive Committee over the past three years. He also served in the Palestinian security forces and spent 11 years in Israeli prisons. Hussien Al-Sheikh Al-Sheikh is Abbas' closest aide, serving as his envoy on visits to world powers. He is widely viewed as a pragmatist and maintains good relations with Israel and Palestine's Arab allies. His experiences could give him credibility with the broader public and Palestinian security apparatus. The new vice president will face the hard task of reuniting the Palestinian leadership, amid mounting pressures caused by the war in Gaza. PA Reforms The PA, which controls the occupied West Bank, has faced growing calls for reforms, hoping that it could play a vital role in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. After the outbreak of the Gaza war, reform pressures have intensified, as international players envision a postwar Gaza governed by a reformed PA. At the Executive Committee meeting on Saturday, Abbas reiterated the commitment to launching a comprehensive national dialogue to engage all Palestinian factions to achieve reconciliation and national unity, according to WAFA. During the Extraordinary Arab Summit for Palestine, held in Cairo, Egypt, on March 4, 2025, Abbas announced that the PA would embark on a series of reforms and changes, including the appointment of a vice president for Palestine and the PLO, restructuring leadership frameworks in the state and revitalizing the PLO, Fatah and state agencies. At the summit, Arab countries unanimously endorsed a $53bn reconstruction plan for Gaza, which provides for an independent committee of non-factional technocrats to administer Gaza for a transitional period, under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority, while enabling the PA to return to Gaza. The plan garnered worldwide support, including from France, Germany, Italy and the UK. Moreover, the European Union (EU) announced a €1.6 billion ($1.8 billion) financial support for the PA conditional on reforms in the Palestinian body. A Welcome Step The recent move by Abbas has been met with praise from the Arab countries. In the light of this, Saudi Arabia on Saturday welcomed the recent reform measures by the PA, emphasizing that these steps will bolster the Palestinian political action. In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said that the Kingdom welcomes the creation of Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee of the PLO and Vice President of the State of Palestine position, and the appointment of Hussein Al-Sheikh, wishing him success in his new responsibilities. The statement added that this move will also support the broader efforts to secure the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, most notably the right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Similarly, Egypt and Jordan welcomed the appointment of Al-Sheikh, expressing their support for this move as a step towards strengthening the Palestinian internal front and securing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the establishment of an independent Palestinian State. Short link : Post Views: 65
Egypt Today
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Today
Hussein Al-Sheikh appointed as Palestinian Vice-President
The newly-appointed Palestinian Vice President Hussein Al-Sheikh- photo from his X account CAIRO – 26 April 2025: Hussein Al-Sheikh, Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), has been appointed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as the Deputy Chairman of the PLO Executive Committee and Palestinian Vice President. The appointment was approved by the PLO Executive Committee, which is chaired by President Abbas, during a meeting held on Saturday. The Executive Committee is scheduled to convene again next Saturday to select a successor to Al-Sheikh for the position of Secretary-General from among its members. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Al-Sheikh expressed his gratitude to President Abbas and the members of the committee for their trust and support. بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم " ربنا افتح بيننا وبين قومنا بالحق وأنت خير الفاتحين " فخامة السيد الرئيس محمود عباس رئيس اللجنة التنفيذية لمنظمة التحرير الفلسطينية رئيس دولة فلسطين حفظه الله وأبقاه مدّاً ومدداً . فخامة الرئيس العالي شخصاً ونصاً عالي الهمة في زمن الهموم الثقيلة وزمن… —حسين الشيخ Hussein AlSheikh (@HusseinSheikhpl) April 26, 2025 Al-Sheikh, born in Ramallah in the West Bank in 1960, was elected Secretary-General of the PLO Executive Committee in 2022. He became a member of the Fatah Central Committee in 2009 during its sixth conference in Bethlehem and was re-elected in 2016. Since 2016, Al-Sheikh has also served as a member of the National Dialogue Committee, which oversees reconciliation talks between Fatah and Hamas. He was imprisoned in Israeli jails from 1978 to 1989, serving a total of 11 years.
Asharq Al-Awsat
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Palestinians Create Role for a Vice President and Possible Abbas Successor
The Palestine Liberation Organization on Thursday announced the creation of a vice presidency under 89-year-old leader Mahmoud Abbas, who has not specified a successor. The PLO Central Council's decision came as Abbas seeks greater relevance and a role in postwar planning for the Gaza Strip after having been largely sidelined by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. After a two-day meeting, the council voted to create the role of vice chairman of the PLO Executive Committee. This position would also be referred to as the vice president of the State of Palestine, which the Palestinians hope will one day receive full international recognition. The expectation is that whoever holds that role would be the front-runner to succeed Abbas — though it's unclear when or exactly how it would be filled. Abbas is to choose his vice president from among the other 15 members of the PLO's executive committee.
Memri
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Memri
PLO Official Dr. Ahmad Majdalani: Hamas Dragged the Palestinians into a New Nakba; This Is No Victory; One More Such 'Victory' And No Palestinians Will Be Left There
Dr. Ahmad Majdalani, a member of the PLO Executive Committee, said in a February 14, 2025, address aired on Palestine TV that the Oslo Accords were not a 'catastrophe.' In fact, he claimed that 1.8 million Palestinian refugees returned through the agreement. He stated that, in contrast, the ceasefire deal signed by Hamas 'is no victory,' and that it has led to 200 Palestinians leaving every day. Majdalani said that the 'Nakba of Gaza is worse than the Nakba of 1948.' He emphasized Hamas's connection to the Muslim Brotherhood. Majdalani rejected claims that the PLO is 'asleep' or standing idly by, pointing to his own experience as a fighter who took up arms at 16. He also stated that the PLO was formed by Palestinian factions and has never waged war as a proxy for anyone.
