Russia-Israel Close Ties Facilitate MidEast Peace Process - Palestine Envoy

High level of relations between Russia and Israel facilitate the Palestine-Israel peace process, Palestinian Ambassador to Russia Nofal Abdel Hafiz said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in June, Netanyahu came to Moscow to mark the 25th anniversary of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and Russia. This was the third Israeli prime minister's visit to Russia since September 2015.

"As you know, Russia seeks to pursue a well-balanced, steady policy both with Israel and Palestine… And [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu's visit should be regarded in the whole Middle East conflict perspective," Nofal said, adding that good relations between Israel and Russia contribute to the Palestine-Israel peace process.

Palestinians seek diplomatic recognition for their independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which is partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip.

Nofal paid tribute to the Russian anti-terror campaign in Syria saying that it stabilized the situation in the region and pushed the Palestine-Israel reconciliation forward.