Abbas tells UN: ‘This is a moment of truth’

The leader of the Palestinian Authority took to the podium to address the general assembly to argue his case.

In Ramallah, a crowd of thousands greeted Mr Abbas’s appearance at the UN with cheering. Many Palestinians feel their dream of a Palestinian state has edged closer tonight.

But Palestinian high spirits also spilled over into violence on the West Bank today, where one man was killed by security forces. The fear is that if there is no progress in New York, it could lead to an upsurge in violence in the occupied territories.

22,000 Israeli police were on special alert in Jerusalem today. Palestinians prayed in the street as Mr Abbas staked a claim for statehood before the world.

Mr Abbas received a standing ovation as he stepped up to speak to the United Nations in New York.

Mr Abbas was followed onto the podium by Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, who told the gathering Israel wanted peace but it could not be achieved through a UN resolution.

In his address, President Abbas said the Palestinians would continue peaceful, popular resistance to Israeli occupation and warned that Jewish settlement construction threatens both to destroy the two-state solution and the survival of his fledgling government, the Palestinian Authority.

“In recent years the criminal actions of armed settler militia who enjoy the protection of the occupation army have intensified.

“This (Israeli settlement) policy will destroy the chances of achieving a two-state solution and… threatens to undermine the structure of the Palestinian National Authority and even end its existence.”

It was the first time Mr Abbas has spoken so starkly of the prospect of the Palestinian Authority’s demise, highlighting the predicament faced by a body set up as a state-in-waiting but now seen by its critics as a big municipality, managing the civilian affairs of the main Palestinian cities under Israeli occupation.

Fulfilling the terms of the Oslo accord

He went on to say Palestinians had persevered in fulfilling the terms of the Oslo peace accord, but that “every round of negotiation has been shattered on the rock of Israeli settlement”.

“This is a moment of truth, the people are waiting for answers from the world, will it allow Israel to continue its occupation? We are the last people to remain under occupation, will the world allow Israel to occupy us forever and act above international law and above the overwhelming opinion of the majority of nations across the world?

“The heart of our crisis is very obvious: there are people think we are unwanted people in the middle east and there are people that believe a state needs to be established immediately,” Mr Abbas said to a round of applause.

“I come before you say to say after 63 years of an ongoing tragedy, al-nakba, enough, enough, enough.”

“The time has come for the Palestinian spring, for independence, the time has come for our men women and children to live normal lives, for mothers to be assured their children will be returned home without being killed, arrested or humiliated”

“We have one goal, one aim, to be, and we shall be,” Mr Abbas concluded to a standing ovation from the Assembly.

‘Theatre of the absurd’

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told the general assembly: “I extend my hand to the Palestinian people… The truth is that Israel wants peace, the truth is that I want peace.”

But he warned that peace could not be achieved “through UN resolutions”. And he told assembled delegates it was time for the Palestinians to acknowledge that “Israel is the Jewish state”.

And he lamented the fact that Israel was subject to regular condemnation at the United Nations.

“Year after year Israel is unjustly singled out for condemnation… more often than all the nations of the world combined.”

Mr Netanyahu continued: “This is the theatre of the absurd”.

Formal recognition letter

Mr Abbas’s speech came after he presented a letter to the UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon formally requesting recognition.

If Mr Ban decides the application is in order, the security council will examine it and vote on it. In order to pass, it would need the backing of nine out of 15 council members, with no vetoes from the permanent members.

But the US has repeatedly said it would veto the move, saying a Palestinian state can only be achieved through talks with Israel.

If the security council does block the move, the Palestinians can seek to upgrade their observer status to non-member status through the general assembly.

The Palestinian delegation said 129 countries have already recognised Palestine, which would satisfy the two-third majority approval the move requires.

Mr Abbas has called for peaceful marches in support of his initiative, but some clashes were reported.

One Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli troops during clashes in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus, Palestinian sources say, while at the Qalandiya checkpoint Israeli troops fired tear gas on stone-throwing Palestinian youths.

In the village of Nabi Saleh, protesters burned Israeli flags and pictures of President Obama.