Speaking before the United Nations General Assembly, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday blasted Israel for its treatment of the Palestinians and added that he does not consider the Jewish state a partner for peace.
The Palestinian leader accused Israel of ignoring the decisions of the international community and went as far as to label it an “apartheid regime.”
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Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas speaking before the United Nations General Assembly
(Photo: AP)
"[Israel] decided not to be a partner in the peace process. Israel does not believe in peace, it believes in creating a status quo through force and aggression, and therefore we have no partner with whom we can talk," he said.
Abbas also accused the UN of preventing Israel from being held accountable for its purported actions against the Palestinian people.
He further said that the trust of the Palestinians in achieving peace is waning because of what he called “Israeli occupation policies” and called on the UN to “recognize full state membership for Palestine” and lay out a “plan to end the Israeli occupation.”
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Prime Minister Yair Lapid speaking before the United Nations General Assembly
(Photo: Gettyimages)
He noted, however, that Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s call at the same forum the day before for a two-state solution is a “positive development” but the true test is an immediate return to negotiations.