New Palestinian Envoy To Iran Meets Raisi, Slams Abraham Accords

The new Palestinian envoy to Iran has met President Ebrahim Raisi and expressed concern over the growing relations between regional countries and Israel.

Salam Zawai presented her credentials to Raisi on Tuesday, replacing her father Salah Zawawi who was the Palestinian authority’s ambassador to Tehran for over 40 years.

Her appointment by President Mahmoud Abbas drew criticism and accusations of corruption and nepotism from some Palestinians. When Zawawi's father became ambassador, Yasser Arafat was the head of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

During the meeting, she congratulated the Iranian president on the anniversary of Iran’s revolution, describing it as a victory for the Arab and Muslim world, and slammed regional countries for their normalization of ties with Israel.

Iran, as Israel’s archenemy, has sharply criticized the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain for the US-brokered Abraham Accords normalizing relations with Israel in 2020. Common fear of Iran was a factor behind the move.

Zawawi expressed hope for the formation of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as the capital, where she said Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei can lead prayers.

Last week, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz paid a visit to Bahrain amid heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf after missile attacks on the United Arab Emirates by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement.