In an Instagram post sharing a photo of the two hugging, Maradona wrote in Spanish: “This man wants peace in Palestine. Mr President Abbas, you have a full-fledged country.”
Abbas was in Moscow for talks with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, but faced domestic criticism for his decision to attend Sunday’s World Cup final in Moscow amid ongoing unrest in Gaza, where Israel and Palestinian terrorist groups have exchanged fire, resulting in casualties on both sides of the tense border.
Maradona has been vocal in his support for the Palestinian cause in the past, and has urged the speedy establishment of a Palestinian state.
“I am the number one fan of the Palestinian people,” he said in 2012. “I respect them and sympathise with them.”
In 2014, during the Gaza-Israel war known as Operation Protective Edge, Maradona said: “What Israel is doing to the Palestinians is shameful.”
Later that same year, it was briefly rumoured that Maradona was in negotiations with the Palestinian Football Association over the possibility of coaching the Palestinian national team during the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, though that never materialised.
The soccer star, considered one of the best to ever play the game, helped Argentina win the 1986 World Cup, including one controversial goal he famously attributed to “the hand of G-d”. – Times of Israel
David B
Jul 19, 2018 at 9:17 am
‘Diego has been a lot of things since his illustrious soccer career which made him a star of the world — unfortunately Now a Palestinian at heart — then a druggie — from a personal point of view I feel only disappointment that he has rolled over into the Palestinian fold ‘
Dave de la Rond
Jul 21, 2018 at 6:55 am
‘Anyone from Argentina can tell you that maybe the SA Jewish Report forgot to mention that Maradona is a vicious Jew Hater that goes on Verbal Antisemitic tirades every couple of Days.The Ex heroin addict is broke and accepts Money and Free First Class travel thought the Arab world to spew his Antisemitic Venom.He keeps good company with Murdering Dictators from Abbas to Erdogan to Maduro to Ortega to Hezbollah ‘