RAMALLAH, Palestine
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thrusday demanded the U.S. reverse its unilateral decisions which are contrary to the resolutions of international legitimacy.
Addressing the UN General Assembly meetings, Abbas renewed his call for holding an international peace conference on international legitimacy resolutions, with broad international participation including regional and international actors, and including the permanent members of the Security Council and the Quartet.
He also called for the acceptance of the State of Palestine as a full member of the UN and for the Security Council to ensure it, taking into consideration the body’s resolution 19/67 of 2012 to ensure international protection of the Palestinian people.
Abbas reaffirmed East Jerusalem is the capital of the future Palestinian state, open for the three monotheistic religions.
He described the Knesset’s adoption of the “Jewish National law” as racist law, which denies Palestinians relationship with their historic homeland and negates their legitimate national rights.
“The law cancels the UN resolutions on the Palestinian issue, the Oslo Accords and the agreements signed with Israel,” he said.
“It revokes the two-state solution, undermining the remaining opportunities to salvage the peace process,” he added.
“We can no longer afford the status quo of occupation and apartheid, we are racing against time to prevent the collapse of everything," Abbas stressed.
Abbas went on to assert he is subjected to popular demands to take "difficult and fateful decisions before the end of this year."
“Before I came to you, the Central Council of the PLO held a session in which it took important decisions to review the agreements signed with Israel and the future of the Palestinian National Authority (PA),” he said.
According to Abbas, the council undertook important decisions which obliged it to review the agreements, political, economic and security alike, that have been reached with the Israeli government, and to also review the future of the Palestinian National Authority, which has been rendered without authority.
“The Central Council also instructed me to suspend the Palestinian recognition of Israel until Israel recognizes the State of Palestine on the 4 June 1967 borders, and to approach the International Criminal Court (ICC), to investigate Israel’s breaches of treaties and the Israeli forces’ aggressions and settler terror against our people, our land and our holy sites,” he said.
Abbas added that his country had responded positively to the various steps of the international community to achieve peace, including the initiative of the U.S. President Donald Trump, and welcomed his promise of launching a comprehensive one that leads to peace.
"However," he said, "we are surprised by President Trump administration's decisions and actions, which are in complete contradiction to Washington's role and commitments to the peace process."
“It is ironic that the American administration still talks about what they call the “deal of the century”. But what is left for this administration to give to the Palestinian people? Humanitarian solutions?” he asked.
According to Abbas, such decisions threaten the Palestinian national cause and constitute an assault on international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.
“The U.S. administration went even further in its assault by cutting assistance to the Palestinian National Authority, UNRWA and Palestinian hospitals in Occupied East Jerusalem,” he added, urging the General Assembly to ensure support to the UNRWA as a matter of international responsibility.
“UNRWA was established by a General Assembly resolution in 1949 and was mandated to provide assistance to the Palestine refugees until the achievement of a just and permanent solution for their plight,” he stressed.
Abbas concluded his speech with saying that the Palestinians are not a people that can be excluded on this earth.
“We are an indigenous people and our roots are deep across five thousand years. We insist on fairness towards us and the implementation of your resolutions,” he said.
Abbas said that Palestinians concluded agreements with Israel and they have abrogated all of them.
He went on to assert that “either Israel abides by these agreements, or else we will renege on them and Israel will bear the responsibility and consequences.”
He also added that the Palestinian Authority will not comply with any of the agreements with United States as long as it reneged on all of them.
Abbas touched on the agreements with Hamas, in which he threatened that the Palestinian Authority will distance itself from the group.
"We will not bear any responsibility [of Gaza strip] unless all agreements are fully implemented."
