Abbas thanks Qatar for using World Cup to push Palestinian cause
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas thanked Qatar and its emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, on Sunday, for using their position as hosts of the World Cup soccer tournament to promote the Palestinian cause.
The call came moments after the close of a weeks-long tournament in which Palestinian flags featured prominently on the pitch, in the stands, and around Qatar’s bevy of soccer-related festivities, much of it part of what appeared to be a conscious effort by Doha to advocate for the Palestinian national struggle on the world stage.
Abbas congratulated Qatar on its “great success” hosting the tournament and said it “brought pride to our souls and the souls of our Arab nations,” he told Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani in the call, according to the official PA news site WAFA.
Abbas also thanked Qatar for the “support provided during this occasion to Palestine, presenting the Palestinian cause to the world in an unprecedented way.”
https://www.timesofisrael.com/abbas-thanks-qatar-for-using-world-cup-to-push-palestinian-cause/
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