In a phone between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Putin updated Abbas on the situation in Ukraine and assured him that Moscow will provide Palestinians with “Russian wheat, materials, and crops” as the war drives up food prices. Putin also took a moment to criticize Israel, especially with regard to recent clashes at the Har HaBayis with Palestinian rioters. Putin “stressed Russia’s firm position in support of the rights of the Palestinian people, and that Russia will continue to accord it’s political support to the Palestinian cause in all international forums, and what is happening in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque,” Palestinian news agence Wafa wrote. The outlet also said that Putin rejected “the Israeli practices that prevent worshipers from freely accessing the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” and that Israel must “respect the existing historical status quo.” Putin has long criticized Israel’s actions to protect itself against Palestinian rioters, though it’s likely that his latest comments to Abbas are due to his fury against the Jewish state for being relatively supportive of Ukraine as he unleashes the full brunt of his military against it. Russia last week summoned Israel’s ambassador to Moscow, Alexander Ben Tzvi, after Israel supported Russia’s suspension from the UN Human Rights Council over its invasion of Ukraine. In a statement, Russia’s defense ministry accused Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid of an “anti-Russian attack” over the vote. “There is an effort to take advantage of the situation around Ukraine to distract the international community from one of the longest unresolved conflicts – the Palestinian-Israeli,” the Russian defense ministry said, going on to rail against Israel for its “illegal occupation and creeping annexation of Palestinian territories.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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