Palestinian Authority to attend BRICS summit, apply for membership

The Cradle, August 26, 2024 — 

Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted PA President Mahmoud Abbas in Moscow earlier this month

Palestine’s ambassador in Moscow, Abdel Hafeez Nofal, said on 26 August that Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas had received an invitation from President Vladimir Putin to attend the upcoming BRICS summit. 

“We received an invitation from President Putin to President Abbas, and he was invited to participate in the BRICS summit prior to the invitation [to visit Russia] … but we will see if the prime minister will participate,” Nofal said. “The most important thing is that we [Palestinian representatives] will participate in this event,” he added. 

The ambassador said Abbas and Putin have a good relationship with one another and can meet at any time. 

“After our first participation in the BRICS summit, we will send a request to join this association,” Nofal revealed. 

He also said that Putin promised Abbas that the upcoming BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan, scheduled for October 2024, will include a session dedicated primarily to Palestine. 

Putin hosted the PA president in the Russian capital earlier this month. 

Earlier this year, Moscow hosted the Palestinian factions – including Abbas’ Fatah party, Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement, and others – for national unity talks. The factions also met in Beijing last month and signed a Chinese-brokered reconciliation agreement aimed at “ending division and strengthening Palestinian unity.”

Despite deep and longstanding security ties with Tel Aviv, the PA remains under tight Israeli constraints. 

It regularly has funds withheld from it by Israel and has for years been blocked from achieving statehood – despite international law. In July, Israel’s Knesset passed a vote with an overwhelming majority completely rejecting any prospect for Palestinian statehood, even as part of a negotiated settlement. 

Foreign diplomats have even been punished for recognizing Palestinian statehood and prevented from dealing with the PA, as was the case with Norway earlier this month. 

BRICS nations have condemned Israel’s actions against the Palestinians in Gaza. 

In a joint statement released on 10 June, the bloc called for a quick ceasefire and the unobstructed delivery of aid to the strip. 

It also rejected attempts at forcefully displacing Palestinians from their land and cautioned “against the spillover effects” of increasing tensions in West Asia. 

BRICS has successfully enabled states targeted by harsh Western and US sanctions, such as Russia, China, and Iran, to cooperate with one another in trade, economy, security, and other domains.