PA's Hussein Al-Sheikh meets AIPAC delegation in Ramallah

The PA has been calling for the "opening of a political horizon" for months, as both Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and his predecessor Neftali Bennet declared that political negotiations with the PA were not on their agenda.

MENA

2 min read

Qassam Muaddi

West Bank

14 September, 2022

Hussein Al-Sheikh (left), Palestinian civil affairs minister and Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee secretary-general, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (right).

Hussein Al-Sheikh is considered the second man in the PA after Mahmoud Abbas and his most likely successor. [Getty]

Palestinian minister of civil affairs and secretary general of the PLO's executive committee, Hussein Al-sheikh, met on Tuesday with a delegation from the American-Israeli Public Relations Committee - AIPAC in Ramallah.

On Tuesday, Al-Sheikh tweeted that he had "discussed [with the AIPAC delegation] the [Palestinian] relationship with the US administration as well as the Israeli government and some regional issues, and the necessity of a political horizon based on international legitimacy that results in the two-state solution".

I met today with a delegation from the #AIPAC, we discussed the relationship with the US administration as well as the Israeli government and some regional issues, and the necessity of a political horizon based on international legitimacy that results in the two state solution
— حسين الشيخ Hussein Al Sheikh (@HusseinSheikhpl) September 13, 2022

The meeting comes two weeks after the US assistant secretary of state Barbara Leaf met both AL-Sheikh and Palestinian president Abbas in Ramallah.

According to Palestinian sources, Leaf discussed with Abbas the recent escalation in the West Bank, the latest incident of which was the killing of two Palestinians and an Israeli officer in a gunfight, near Jenin on Wednesday.

In late August, the US envoy to the Middle East, Hadi Amru, also visited Ramallah and held talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh.

Today, I met with the #US Assistant Secretary of State @SafiraLeaf Barbara Leaf to discuss the latest developments and the importance of the American role in stopping all unilateral measures, foremost of which are settlements, https://t.co/WVL7ht2Kah
— حسين الشيخ Hussein Al Sheikh (@HusseinSheikhpl) September 2, 2022

The PA has been calling for the 'opening of a political horizon' for months, as both Israeli PRime Minister Yair Lapid and his predecessor Neftali Bennet declared that political negotiations with the PA were not on their agenda.

Abbas repeated the same plead during his visit to France and meeting with French president Macron in July

During his visit to the country back in July, US president Joe Biden announced that a two-state solution was "not likely in the near term".