Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has voiced his strong support for Russia’s airstrikes in Syria, Russia’s Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko said on Friday.
At the meeting on Thursday, Abbas “unambiguously and firmly expressed his support for Russia’s actions in Syria,” Matviyenko said in an interview with Rossiya 24 TV.
Speaker Matviyenko said Abbas supports the need to step up efforts on the fight against ISIS and other terrorist groups. “Here we have no differences,” she said.
Abbas also said Russia has come back to the Middle East and this creates “certain balance” in the region and no imbalance will be allowed, Matviyenko said.
On February 2-4, a Russian delegation of the upper house of parliament paid an official visit to Israel and a had working visit to the PA. On Wednesday, Matviyenko held talks with Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein.
“Israel, like Russia, knows firsthand what terrorism means,” she said.
“Of course, they understand the importance of the fight against terrorism and about Russia’s participation in that fight,” Matviyenko said, adding that the Palestinian and Israel have conflicting opinions regarding this fight.
Abbas’s support for Russia’s Aerospace Forces bombing raids on behalf of Syrian President Bashar Assad aligns the PA with the Syrian regime, the Russians, the Iranians, and Hezbollah. The fact that Abbas is looking to be part of that de facto coalition might be viewed with concern by Sunni forces, most notably Saudi Arabia.