Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas told the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday that Israeli policies have moved past endangering the two-state solution and now threaten the existence of the Palestinian people.
“The danger is no longer limited to undermining the two-state solution and preventing the realisation of the Palestinian state. It has now come to threaten the very life and existence of the Palestinian people on their homeland,” Abbas said.
Speaking through a pre-recorded video message, Abbas said people in Gaza were being subjected to a “genocidal war”. He added that Israeli actions in both Gaza and the West Bank “threaten the life and existence of Palestinian people on their own land”.
Calls for Faster Gaza Peace Plan Implementation
Abbas urged that the second phase of the Gaza peace plan be implemented more quickly. He also cautioned against Israeli plans to split the West Bank into northern and southern zones.
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The Palestinian leader asked US President Donald Trump to “fulfil commitments” he had made to Arab leaders to prevent the annexation of Palestinian lands.
Abbas Rejects US Visa Denial
Abbas also criticised Washington’s decision to refuse him a visa to attend the General Assembly in person.
“For the second consecutive year, the Palestinian delegation was denied the entry visas required to reach New York and participate in the meetings of the United Nations General Assembly in person. We reject these unlawful punitive measures, and we reject the accusations and justifications on which they were based.”
The US State Department has said the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organisation “failed to live up to their commitments”. It accused the two bodies of “taking actions to internationalise the Israeli-Palestinian conflict including through the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice” and of “glorifying terrorism”, among other allegations.
Abbas dismissed those accusations and said the Palestinian side had met its obligations.
“We affirm that we have fulfilled our obligations, carried out a comprehensive national reform programme, and upheld our commitment to international law, to shunning violence and terrorism, and to the two-state solution and to peace based on resolutions of international legitimacy.”
Appeal for Recognition and Full UN Membership
Abbas thanked the “160 countries that have recognised the state of Palestine”. He urged countries that have yet to do so to grant recognition, and called for Palestine to be given full membership of the United Nations.