Mahmoud Abbas
Photo: AFP
Abbas: Statehood bid no stunt
Palestinian president publishes NYT opinion piece, says 'choice is not between Palestinian unity or peace with Israel; it is between a two-state solution or settlement-colonies'
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas published an opinion piece in the New York Times, where he says the Palestinian Authority unilateral bid for statehood is not a ploy, but rather at attempt to "secure the Palestinians' historic rights."
Come September, he wrote, the Palestinian Authority "we will request international recognition of the State of Palestine on the 1967 border and that our state be admitted as a full member of the United Nations.
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"Many are questioning what value there is to such recognition while the Israeli occupation continues. Others have accused us of imperiling the peace process. We believe, however, that there is tremendous value for all Palestinians — those living in the homeland, in exile and under occupation."
"Our quest for recognition as a state should not be seen as a stunt… We go to the United Nations now to secure the right to live free in the remaining 22% of our historic homeland because we have been negotiating with the State of Israel for 20 years without coming any closer to realizing a state of our own.
"We cannot wait indefinitely while Israel continues to send more settlers to the occupied West Bank and denies Palestinians access to most of our land and holy places, particularly in Jerusalem. Neither political pressure nor promises of rewards by the United States have stopped Israel’s settlement program," he said.
The future Palestine’s admission to as a UN-member nation, continued Abbas, "Would pave the way for the internationalization of the conflict as a legal matter, not only a political one. It would also pave the way for us to pursue claims against Israel at the United Nations, human rights treaty bodies and the International Court of Justice.
Negotiations, Abbas assured the American paper's readers remain the PA's "first option," but "due to their failure we are now compelled to turn to the international community to assist us in preserving the opportunity for a peaceful and just end to the conflict.
"Palestinian national unity is a key step in this regard," he stressed. "Contrary to what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel asserts, and can be expected to repeat this week during his visit to Washington, the choice is not between Palestinian unity or peace with Israel; it is between a two-state solution or settlement-colonies."
Abbas also assures readers that "the State of Palestine intends to be a peace-loving nation, committed to human rights, democracy, the rule of law and the principles of the United Nations Charter."
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