Islamic Jihad Leader discusses 'Palestinian-Israeli conflict' with Kremlin
The Russian Foreign Ministry reported that Russia's former ambassador to Israel and now Deputy Foreign Minister and Vladimir Putin's special representative for the Middle East Mikhail Bogdanov held an official meeting with Ziyad al-Nakhalah, Secretary-General of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, based in Gaza.
"M.L. Bogdanov received the Secretary General of the Palestinian movement Islamic Jihad Ziyad al-Nakhalah," reads the statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"The Russian side reaffirmed its unwavering position in support of the two-state principle of the settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on a generally recognized international legal basis - the resolutions of the UN’s Security Council and the General Assembly and the Arab Peace Initiative," the Russian Foreign Ministry tweeted.
Despite numerous problems in Gaza, the conversation in the Russian Foreign Ministry focused on "prospects for a just solution to the Palestinian problem, including the urgency of restoring Palestinian national unity through the Palestine Liberation Organization, in light of the general Palestinian elections scheduled for May-August this year."
During this conversation, the Russian side reaffirmed its "continued support of the two-state principle in the settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on a generally recognized international legal basis."
The Russian Foreign Ministry did not specify what the "two-state principle" is and on what universally accepted "international legal basis" it is based. The Kremlin did not publish any photos of the meeting.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad together with Hamas and six other factions are members of the Alliance of Palestinian Forces.
It does not recognize the Oslo Accords. It's main goal is the creation of a sovereign Islamic Palestinian state.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad rejects a two-state solution and calls for the military destruction of Israel.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad has been recognized as a terrorist organisation by the United States,the European Union,the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Israel.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad is responsible for numerous attacks on Israeli civilians, including suicide bombings.