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Unreported: Mahmoud Abbas Traveled to Russia to Cement Ties with Putin and China
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attend a ceremony to sign an agreement of comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Jan. 17, 2025. Photo: Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via REUTERS
The Palestinian Authority (PA) has unequivocally aligned itself with the anti-American axis led by China and Russia. This is a deceitful betrayal of the United States and Western European nations, whose billions in aid have kept the PA out of financial collapse and sustained its very existence.
This fundamental alliance was on full display during PA leader Mahmoud Abbas’ participation in a major event held in Moscow on May 9, during which he warmly embraced Russian President Vladimir Putin as seen in the picture below.
The official PA daily was proud to report that Abbas’ attendance was at the “official invitation” of Putin, and “he also participated in the official dinner that Putin held in honor of [world] leaders” [Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, May 10, 2025].
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, May 9, 2025]
The event was the 80th Moscow Victory Day Parade, celebrating Nazi Germany’s surrender in World War II. The combination of Abbas, Moscow, and the Nazis is highly ironic, given that Abbas previously was in Moscow as a student, where he wrote a doctoral thesis on his Holocaust denial.
Abbas met with both Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the event, warmly shaking hands with them and stressing the PA’s “strategic partnership” with their countries.
In his meeting with Xi, Abbas thanked the Chinese leader for the important “strategic partnership between the State of Palestine and its friend the People’s Republic of China.”:
Abbas expressed to the Chinese president his gratitude and appreciation for China’s positions that support our Palestinian people and its just cause in the international forums. He also gave thanks for the humanitarian aid and development aid that China presents to the Palestinian people.
The president emphasized the importance of the strategic partnership between the State of Palestine and its friend the People’s Republic of China. [emphasis added]
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, May 10, 2025]
Speaking with Putin, the PA chairman not only thanked Russia for its support, but also urged it to “develop” further bilateral ties “in various fields”:
During his meeting with … Putin … the president praised the historical relations between Palestine and Russia. He expressed his appreciation for Russia’s fixed positions in favor of the Palestinian people and its just rights …
He also discussed with his Russian counterpart the strengthening of the historical ties of friendship between the two states and ways to develop them in various fields, in a way that serves the interests of the two peoples. [Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, May 9, 2025]
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, May 11, 2025]
This overt embrace of the anti-US axis further solidifies a position that has been repeatedly reiterated by the PA. For example, during a visit to Russia in May 2024, Abbas’ advisor Mahmoud Al-Habbash called for a “new multipolar world order” comprised of “the Islamic world, Russia and China.”
In a similar vein, in a meeting with the Chinese ambassador this April, Fatah General Commissioner for Arab and China Relations Abbas Zaki called China the “savior of humanity” against the threat of “the Zionist-American alliance.”
Given Abbas’ call to further “develop” ties with Russia and China, it can only be assumed that the PA will continue to take a more pronounced position in support of America’s opponents. Abbas already displayed this stance when he recently cursed America, saying: “May their father be cursed.”
The author is the Founder and Director of Palestinian Media Watch, where a version of this article first appeared.
The post Unreported: Mahmoud Abbas Traveled to Russia to Cement Ties with Putin and China first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Rubio Heads to Israel Amid Tensions Among US Middle East Allies
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to members of the media, before departing for Israel at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US, September 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Nathan Howard/Pool
US President Donald Trump’s top diplomat, Marco Rubio headed to Israel on Saturday, amid tensions with fellow US allies in the Middle East over Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
Speaking to reporters before departure, Rubio reiterated that the US and President Donald Trump were not happy about the strikes.
Rubio said the US relationship with Israel would not be affected, but that he would discuss with the Israelis how the strike would affect Trump’s desire to secure the return of all the hostages held by Hamas, get rid of the terrorists and end the Gaza war.
“What’s happened, has happened,” he said. “We’re gonna meet with them. We’re gonna talk about what the future holds,” he said.
“There are still 48 hostages that deserve to be released immediately, all at once. And there is still the hard work ahead once this ends, of rebuilding Gaza in a way that provides people the quality of life that they all want.”
Rubio said it had yet to be determined who would do that, who would pay for it and who would be in charge of the process.
After Israel, Rubio is due to join Trump’s planned visit to Britain next week.
Hamas still holds 48 hostages, and Qatar has been one of the mediators, along with the US, trying to secure a ceasefire deal that would include the captives’ release.
On Tuesday, Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an airstrike on Doha. US officials described it as a unilateral escalation that did not serve American or Israeli interests.
The strike on the territory of a close US ally sparked broad condemnation from other Arab states and derailed ceasefire and hostage talks brokered by Qatar.
On Friday, Rubio met with Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the White House, underscoring competing interests in the region that Rubio will seek to balance on his trip. Later that day, US President Donald Trump held dinner with the prime minister in New York.
Rubio’s trip comes ahead of high-level meetings at the United Nations in New York later this month. Countries including France and Britain are expected to recognize Palestinian statehood, a move opposed by Israel.
Washington says such recognition would bolster Hamas and Rubio has suggested the move could spur the annexation of the West Bank sought by hardline members of the Israeli government.
ON Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an agreement to push ahead with a settlement expansion plan that would cut across West Bank land that the Palestinians seek for a state. Last week, the United Arab Emirates warned that this would cross a red line and undermine the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords that normalized UAE-Israel relations in 2020.
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Netanyahu Posts Message Appearing to Confirm Hamas Leaders Survived Doha Strike
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a Plenum session of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, in Jerusalem, June 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – In a statement posted to social media on Saturday evening, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the Qatar-based leadership of Hamas, reiterating that the jihadist group had to regard for the lives of Gazans and represented an obstacle to ending the war and releasing the Israelis it held hostage.
The wording of Netanyahu’s message appeared to confirm that the strike targeting the Hamas leaders in Doha was not crowned with success.
“The Hamas terrorists chiefs living in Qatar don’t care about the people in Gaza,” wrote Netanyahu. “They blocked all ceasefire attempts in order to endlessly drag out the war.” He added that “Getting rid of them would rid the main obstacle to releasing all our hostages and ending the war.”
Israel is yet to officially comment on the result of the strike, which has incurred widespread international criticism.
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Trump Hosts Qatari Prime Minister After Israeli Attack in Doha
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani attends an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, following an Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, Sept. 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
US President Donald Trump held dinner with the Qatari prime minister in New York on Friday, days after US ally Israel attacked Hamas leaders in Doha.
Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an attack in Qatar on Tuesday, a strike that risked derailing US-backed efforts to broker a truce in Gaza and end the nearly two-year-old conflict. The attack was widely condemned in the Middle East and beyond as an act that could escalate tensions in a region already on edge.
Trump expressed annoyance about the strike in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sought to assure the Qataris that such attacks would not happen again.
Trump and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani were joined by a top Trump adviser, US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
“Great dinner with POTUS. Just ended,” Qatar’s deputy chief of mission, Hamah Al-Muftah, said on X.
The White House confirmed the dinner had taken place but offered no details.
The session followed an hour-long meeting that al-Thani had at the White House on Friday with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
A source briefed on the meeting said they discussed Qatar’s future as a mediator in the region and defense cooperation in the wake of the Israeli strikes against Hamas in Doha.
Trump said he was unhappy with Israel’s strike, which he described as a unilateral action that did not advance US or Israeli interests.
Washington counts Qatar as a strong Gulf ally. Qatar has been a main mediator in long-running negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and for a post-conflict plan for the territory.
Al-Thani blamed Israel on Tuesday for trying to sabotage chances for peace but said Qatar would not be deterred from its role as mediator.