UNITED NATIONS: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas underscored on Tuesday that Israel has thwarted all attempts for negotiations and it acts as a state above the law.
In a rare address before the UN Security Council, Abbas called for the convening of international Middle East peace conference by mid-2018. “To solve the Palestine question, it is essential to establish a multilateral international mechanism emanating from an international conference,” Abbas told the council.
He said Palestinians no longer view Washington as a neutral negotiator and have been calling for a collective approach to try and broker Middle East peace. “They are furious at US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December and cut to US funding for the UN agency that helps Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).”
Abbas called for the recognition of Palestinian statehood as part of a wider Middle East peace process. He asserted that Jerusalem must be the capital of Palestine and be open to all religions.
The Palestinian president reiterated that the problem is not with Judaism as a religion but with the occupier, whatever its religion.
He added that it is surprising that America continues to consider the Palestine Liberation Organisation as a terrorist entity and obstructs its work, citing a law of the US Congress from 1987.
Abbas said that he would intensify efforts “to demand full membership in the United Nations and to seek international protection,” hoping that states recognise Palestine as “this is not against the negotiations, but rather strengthen them”.
Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2018
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