This is a compliment to Affif Safieh to be fired by Abbas?

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Afif Safieh is the most skilled and effective Palestinian diplomat having served in London and Washington prior to his Moscow assignment. The Authority and the President should be thankful for having such a talent in the service of Palestine and the Palestinian people and not treat Ambassador Safieh so shabbily.

During his tenure in Washington he vividly demonstrated what an Arab Ambassador can do to raise awareness and garner public support for our cause. He was by far the most effective Arab ambassador in Washington I have seen in over 40 years.

We have to let the President, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs know that the loss of Afif's service is a huge setback to the Palestinians effort to have the world hear and understand our story.

Finally, what was the sin committed by the Palestinian Ambassador for attending a rally in Moscow denouncing the brutal and criminal Israeli attack against the Palestinian population of Gaza irrespective of who organized this rally? Is it a crime nowadays to defend the rights of ALL Palestinians when they are subjected to such horrors? Abu Mazen should have fired Safieh had he NOT attended.

Safieh's dismissal for attending the rally speaks volumes about other considerations and motives.

It also put all Palestinian diplomats on edge and created a lot of uncertainties about what they can do and what is taboo according to President Abbas. This action also installs the security officers in Palestinian embassies as spies as well as judges and jury with Abbas unilaterally pulling the trigger before asking hardly any questions. What was the reaction of Safieh's immediate supervisor, the Foreign Minister, to this action which effectively sidelined him.

We desperately need the likes of Afif Safieh in postings of the highest visibility. We cannot tolerate a compromised and frightened diplomatic corps.

Basem