JOIN USAbbas pleads for statehood at UN assembly
In a historic move, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas submitted to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon a formal application for the admission of Palestine as a full member of the world body and thus recognise it as a State on the basis of June 4, 1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
“The time has come for my courageous and proud people, after decades of displacement and colonial occupation and ceaseless suffering to live like other peoples of the earth, free in a sovereign and independent homeland,” Abbas said in his address to the UNGA. The General Assembly witnessed an unprecedented scene, when the 76-year-old chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s executive committee came to the podium amid thunderous applause and standing ovations by delegates of a large number of countries.
It reflected not only the overwhelming support for his bid for statehood for his homeland, but also the growing isolation of Israel and US. Abbas waved a copy of his application to the UN Secretary General towards the end of his spirited address that was repeatedly punctuated by ovations.
US President Barack Obama on Wednesday opposed the Palestinian bid. Obama said that the Israel-Palestine conflict could be resolved only through a peace-process, not through statements and resolution in the international body.
But Abbas on Friday said that it was “no longer possible to redress the issue of the blockage of the peace talks with the same means and methods” that had been repeatedly tried and proven unsuccessful over the past years. “The crisis is far too deep to be neglected and what is more dangerous are attempts to simply circumvent it or postpone its explosion.”
“It is a moment of truth and my people are waiting to hear the answer of the world... Will it allow Israel to remain a state above the law and accountability?” he wondered.
Abbas’ plea will now go to the UNSC, which will then study and vote on it. But as the US already made it clear that it would veto any resolution recognising Palestine as a member State, the diplomats of the “Quartet of Mideast mediators” on Friday continued efforts to avoid a confrontation with a compromise. Efforts were also on to craft a statement from the Quartet – the US, Russia, EU and UN – to resume the stalled peace-process, so that Washington did not have to resort to veto, which could further isolate it globally.