Intra-Palestinian meeting, sign of prudence in face of Israel: Iran

Iran has welcomed a recent meeting of Palestinian groups, saying the move is a sign of prudence of Palestinian leaders in countering the Israeli regime, its supporters and accomplices.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh on Saturday stressed the importance of strengthening unity and coherence among all Palestinian movements and said, "Resistance against the criminal and occupying Zionist regime is the sole way to liberate the land of Palestine and holy [occupied city of] al-Quds."

"The resilient Palestinian nation has proved over the past decades that it will not give up its determination to stand up to Palestine's occupiers despite years of occupation, massacre and repression by the occupying Israeli regime against the Palestinian people as well as [the so-called] peace plans [put forward] by some treacherous Arab governments,” he said.

The Iranian spokesperson emphasized that governments and freedom-seeking nations across the world would certainly support the Palestinian people in their struggle against the Israeli regime.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday chaired a meeting with heads of the Palestinian groups in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah and the Lebanese capital of Beirut through video conference. The chief of the political bureau of the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement, Ismail Haniyeh, and Islamic Jihad Secretary General Ziyad al-Nakhalah also attended the meeting.

The intra-Palestinian meeting was held to discuss ways to prevent Israeli annexation plans in the occupied West Bank. 

The meeting also came at a time when the United Arab Emirates and Israel agreed to a US-brokered deal on August 13 to normalize relations. Under the agreement, the Tel Aviv regime has purportedly agreed to "temporarily" suspend applying its own rule to further areas in the occupied West Bank and the strategic Jordan Valley that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had pledged to annex.

While Emirati officials have described the normalization deal with the Tel Aviv regime as a successful means to stave off annexation and save the so-called two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Israeli leaders have lined up to reject the bluff of Abu Dhabi's crown prince and de facto ruler of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, that Israel's annexation plans were off the table.

Palestinian factions have unanimously dismissed the deal, saying it does not serve the Palestinian cause and ignores the rights of Palestinians.

Palestinian factions close ranks to reject US-crafted Israel-UAE normalization deal

Palestinian factions unanimously underline their rejection of the US-backed normalization deal between Israel and the UAE, and call for a united front in light of the agreement.

“We cannot accept anyone speaking in our name. We have never allowed it, and we will not allow it ever,” President Abbas said at the Thursday meeting.

He also called for a comprehensive national dialogue, and said the Fatah and Hamas movements must initiate a dialogue to endorse ways to end their divisions.

The deal has drawn harsh criticism and condemnation from Muslim countries.  

Addressing a meeting with directors at the Education Ministry via video conference on Tuesday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said the United Arab Emirates has betrayed the entire Muslim world, the Arab nations, the region’s countries, and the important cause of Palestine by normalizing ties with the Israeli regime, but that the betrayal will not last long.

Ayatollah Khamenei: UAE betrayed Muslim world, but it won’t last long

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the UAE has betrayed the entire Muslim world through normalization with Israel.

“Of course, this situation will not last long, and the stain of shame will remain on the face of those who forgot the occupation of this country (Palestine) and the displacement of the Palestinian nation and allowed the Zionists into the region,” Ayatollah Khamenei stated.

Read more:

• UAE to open embassy in Israel within 3-5 months: Official
• Israeli regime has no future in Palestinian territories: Hamas
• Hamas urges Bahrain, Saudi Arabia to stop helping UAE implement deal with Israel

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