North Korea's official news agency reported on May 24, 2019 that a Fatah delegation headed by the movement's deputy chairman Mahmoud Al-'Aloul had met in Pyongyang with Choe Ryong-hea, president of the presidium of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly.[1] According to the Palestinian official news agency WAFA, Al-'Aloul handed Ryong-hea a letter from Palestinian President Mahmoud 'Abbas to the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, discussing the steps the Palestinian leadership intends to take vis-à-vis the American Middle East peace initiative known as the "Deal of the Century." Ryong-hea conveyed Kim's greetings to the Palestinian people and to President 'Abbas, and stressed the North Korean leader's support for the Palestinian cause. He commended 'Abbas for his steadfastness in the face of "the arrogance of the U.S. administration and its extensive pressures," and condemned U.S. President Trump's decisions vis-à-vis the Palestinians, in particular the transfer of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and the American "siege" on the Palestinian people and leadership.
The Fatah delegation, which also included Palestinian Ambassador to North Korea Nimr Isma'il, Palestinian Ambassador to China Fariz Al-Mahdawi, and Fatah Revolutionary Council member Riyad Radwan, met with North Korean official Pak Thea Song and discussed developing and strengthening the relations between the peoples "which began in the days of [North Korean] president Kim Il-sung and [Palestinian] president Yasser Arafat."[2]
It should be noted that Palestinian and North Korean officials periodically exchange letters and greetings, and hold meetings in which they stress the similarity between Palestine and North Korea in terms of their political situation and the American pressure on them.[3]
Mahmoud Al-'Aloul (second from left) with Choe Ryong-hea (second from right)(source: Facebook.com/abujihad1965, May 25, 2019)
