Abbas: 'Oslo' no longer exists, UN protects 'Israel'

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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas delivered a speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, in which he attacked the Israeli occupation and its crimes against the Palestinian people, and sharply criticized the United Nations for "protecting Israel from punishment."

Abbas gave his speech during the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, held in New York from September 20 to 26.

At the beginning of the speech, Abbas reiterated the emphasis on "adhering to the Hashemite guardianship over the holy sites in Occupied Palestine", and said that the Palestinian Authority "will deal with Israel as an occupying state."

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Abbas stated, "We are ready to hold elections," adding that, "Israel has prevented us, and when some entities order it otherwise, we will hold those elections immediately."

The Palestinian President questioned; "if Israel is an apartheid regime, and it is, why not punish it for violating international law? and who protects it from such punishment" confirming that, "the United Nations and its enforcers are the ones who protect Israel from punishment."

Oslo no longer exists

The Palestinian President explained while holding photos of massacres and attacks carried out by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people, that "the latest Israeli massacres was the attack on Gaza with bombs," adding that, "We now call on the international community to hold Israel accountable for its crimes and we will go to the (International) Criminal Court."

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"Palestinian people are the only ones left on the face of the earth under occupation... Why? We do not accept that we remain the only party that adheres to the agreements we signed with Israel in 1993." Abbas said, adding, "The Oslo accords no longer exist on the ground (in practice), because of Israel's unilateral violations of them."

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Abbas stressed that, "we have to look for other ways to achieve our rights, especially since not a single one of all the resolutions issued by the UN regarding Palestine has been implemented", and that "there are double standards applied when it comes to Tel Aviv."

Palestine will join other international organizations

President Mahmoud Abbas revealed, "the state of Palestine will initiate the procedure of joining other international organizations," stressing that, "during past crises, we left no method to bring Israel back to the negotiating table, but it refused and continues to refuse to do so."

He pointed out to the representatives of the states that, "we will not resort to weapons or violence, but we will fight terrorism with the international community, and what we ask from you is to protect us," demanding immediate implementation of, "the Resolution 181 on the partition of Palestine and Resolution 194 on the return of refugees."

"Israel has left us no other choice but to reconsider the entire existing relationship," Abbas said, "we do not accept that we remain the only party that respects the agreements with Israel that it violates."

Abbas also pointed out that, "European countries have not recognized the state of Palestine, and they are threatening us with a veto against our full membership in the United Nations."

The international community has failed to protect the Palestinian people

"The international community has failed to deter the heinous Israeli aggression against our people and provide them with protection," Abbas concluded.

Abbas addressed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, saying: "I call on the UN Secretary-General to work hard to develop an international plan to end the occupation of the land of the state of Palestine."