Addressing the 78th session of the UN General Assembly on Thursday, September 21, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas underlined that there can be no hope for peace in the region until Palestinians get their legitimate right to national self-determination.
“Those who think that peace can prevail in the Middle East without the Palestinian people enjoying their full and legitimate national rights would be mistaken,” he said.
Abbas also noted that Israel’s extremist government, instead of repenting for its crimes inside the occupied territories, has been bragging about its “apartheid policies on [Palestinian] people.” He claimed that the world had failed to hold Israel accountable for its crimes and deliberate violations of numerous UN resolutions.
He appealed to countries that have not yet recognized the state of Palestine to do so. Abbas also questioned them, particularly those in the West, for their reluctance to recognize the state of Palestine despite it being admitted to the UN as an observer state. He demanded full UN membership for Palestine.
Abbas called for an international peace conference on Palestine to discuss Israeli attempts against a two-state solution and persistent violations of the UN resolutions. He declared that the double standards with respect to Israel must end.
There has been no peace process in Palestine since 2014. Meanwhile, Israel has refused to adhere to UN resolutions and has even violated the 1993 Oslo agreements by expanding its illegal settlements inside the occupied territories.
