A man is known by the company he keeps — and while dozens of countries have boycotted or entirely cut ties with Russia due to Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine, Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Mahmoud Abbas chooses to “strengthen and develop” Palestinian-Russian ties.

Thus last week, Abbas welcomed Russian Envoy to the Middle East Peace Process Vladimir Safronkov in his headquarters in Ramallah. There, Abbas stressed the Palestinian-Russian friendship and “the importance of the Palestinian-Russian ties and Palestine’s diligence in strengthening and developing them”:

Yesterday afternoon, Tuesday [May 9, 2023], at the [PA] presidential headquarters in Ramallah, [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas received Russian Envoy to the Middle East Peace Process Vladimir Safronkov.

During the meeting, they discussed the recent developments in the situation and the dangerous and ongoing Israeli escalation in all the Palestinian territories…

President [Abbas] emphasized the importance of the Palestinian-Russian ties and Palestine’s diligence in strengthening and developing them, because they are an interest of the two countries and the two friendly peoples. [emphasis added]

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, May 10, 2023]

In addition, senior PA official and PLO Executive Committee Secretary Hussein Al-Sheikh met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow the same week:

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov was also present at the meeting and apart from discussing Palestinian affairs, ways to “further strengthen” the friendship were also on the table:

The two sides exchanged views on the current situation in the Middle East, with a focus on the prospects for a Palestinian-Israeli settlement.

They also discussed issues related to efforts to restore Palestinian national unity in accordance with the political program of the PLO, and a number of bilateral issues to further strengthen Russian-Palestinian relations. [emphasis added]

[WAFA, official PA news agency, English edition, May 18, 2023]

Palestinian Media Watch has documented the PA’s preferences in terms of international alliances. Among the PA’s friends are Syria and President Bashar Assad, China (as opposed to Taiwan), North Korea and its leader Kim Jung-un, to name a few.

Countries and leaders are truly defined by the company they keep.

The author is a senior analyst at Palestinian Media Watch, where a version of this article first appeared.

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