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Palestine - President Addresses General Debate, 72nd Session
From the podium of the United Nations General Assembly Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas today called on the world Organization to face up to its responsibilities to end Israel’s “relentless” occupation ensure the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
“The United Nations bears a legal, political, moral and humanitarian obligation to end this occupation and enable the Palestinian people to live in freedom and prosperity in their independent state of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the 4 June 1967 borders,” he said.
“We recognized the State of Israel on the 1967 borders, but Israel’s continuous refusal to recognize these borders has put into question the mutual recognition we signed in Oslo in 1993,” he added, referring to the accord providing for a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace within secure borders.
He demanded that Israel commit to the borders of 1967 as basis for the two-state solution, urged those States that have not yet done so to recognize the State of Palestine, and called on the UN Security Council to approve full membership of the State of Palestine to the UN.
“The path we have chosen as Palestinian and Arabs, and the path chosen by the world, is that of international law and international legitimacy,” underscored Mr. Abbas.
“I address the Israeli people, across the spectrum of their society and tell them: We want to live in peace,” he stated. “Do not listen to those who try to convince you that peace between us is not possible.”
