Safieh was appointed to serve as the Palestinian ambassador to the Russian Federation, he presented his letter of credentials to President Medvedev on September 18, 2008. It was reported in March 2009 that he had been dismissed from this post by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, apparently because he had spoken at a rally organised by Hamas to protest against the Israeli attack on Gaza. Afif Safieh was nominated in June 2009 as Palestinian Roving Ambassador for Special Missions, based in London. During the Fateh sixth national conference held in Bethlehem, August 2009, Ambassador Safieh was elected to the Fateh Revolutionary Council - the parliament of the Fateh movement. In October 2009, Safieh was invited by the Commissioner for International Relations for the Fateh movement Dr Nabil Sha'ath to be Deputy Commissioner for International Relations. See also Palestinian Christians References External links Video of Speech at World Affairs Council of Northern California (August 2006) Announcement of appointment as envoy to the United States, from the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs Palestinian Envoy Brings New Strategy to Washington, from the Forward The Anatomy of the PLO Mission in Washington, from the Al-Jazeerah Information Center 1950 births Ambassadors of the State of Palestine to the United Kingdom Ambassadors of the State of Palestine to Russia Harvard University staff Living people Palestinian Christians Palestinian diplomats People from Jerusalem Sciences Po alumni Université catholique de Louvain alumni Ambassadors of the State of Palestine to the United States Ambassadors of the State of Palestine to the Netherlands