Abbas: UN must try to end Israeli occupation 'within set timeframe'
In a speech to the UN General Assembly, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas implores the UN to make efforts to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine and prevent the forfeiture of the two-state agreement.
Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas called on the United Nations on Wednesday to pursue efforts to "bring an end to Israeli occupation of the state of Palestine within a set timeframe."
Abbas, addressing the United Nations General Assembly, warned that if the two-state solution were to be destroyed, Palestinians would have no choice but to "continue the struggle and demand full rights for all inhabitants of historic Palestine".
Abbas opened his speech by lamenting the fact that 24 years had passed since the signing of the Oslo Accords, which gave the Palestinians hope to establish their own state, and asked: "What remains of this hope today?"
"We examined every option in an attempt to achieve peace, and together with the Arab states we adopted the Arab initiative, according to which Israel will withdraw from the territories and in return will gain the recognition of the Arab world. And what was Israel's response? Not interested," he fumed.
Abbas then accused Israel of renouncing its responsibility to end the occupation and of trying to distract the attention of the international community from its actions, adding that itis jeopardizing the two-state solution by continuing to expand its settlements on Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, adding that there is no physical space anymore for a Palestinian state.
"If the two-state solution is destroyed, we will have no choice but to continue our struggle and demand full rights for all the inhabitants of Palestine," Abbas said.
Then, mentioning the recent tensions around the Temple Mount, warning Israel not to target the site sacred to both Muslims and Jews in the Old City of Jerusalem with any unilateral decisions and stressing that this would be like "playing with fire."
"It is dangerous for you and for us," he said, addressing Israel.
The speech comes just days after his rival party Hamas announced they will disband their shadow government in Gaza and offered Abbas to seize control of the Strip.
Earlier Wednesday, Abbas told US President Donald Trump that a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians can be reached this year, adding it could be "the deal of the century."
Abbas said his meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York attested to the US president’s seriousness about reaching a Middle East peace deal soon.
