Abbas fires ambassador to Moscow for attending Hamas's rally on Gaza

MOSCOW, (PIC)-- The veteran Palestinian diplomat Afif Safia, who serves as Palestine ambassador in Moscow was "arbitrarily" fired from his post by former PA chief and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas for attending a rally organized by Hamas Movement on Gaza tragedy, the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper revealed Thursday. According to the paper, Safia protested the decision and sent an official protest petition to Abbas, explaining that in his capacity as the Palestinian ambassador in Russia, he attended the rally which focused on the brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip that left 1500 Palestinians dead, 6000 wounded, and tens of thousands of families homeless. He was quoted as saying that he would serve Palestine at any time and in any place, although he prefers to remain at his current post as ambassador. The security officer in the PA embassy in Moscow sent a report to Ramallah, criticizing and accusing Safia of publicly praising Hamas, which was immediately reacted upon by the Ramallah authority and ordered Safia out of his post, the paper added. In his speech during the Hamas-organized rally, Safia stressed that the great sacrifices of the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip and the victory they achieved on the Israeli occupation army requires different approach and performance on the part of Ramallah authority.