T. Belman. The PA still think they are calling the shots. In reality, the train has left the station and it is not on it.
Arab media reports Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas plans to use his speech at the General Assembly to declare the end of the 25-year-old Oslo process • This will effectively disband the PA • PLO official: Move has yet to be finalized.
By Yoni Hersch, Associated Press and Israel Hayom Staff
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas speaks at the U.N. General Assembly in 2017
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas plans to use his speech at the upcoming U.N. General Assembly to declare a “Palestinian state under occupation,” the London-based Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported Wednesday.
A senior official with the Palestine Liberation Organization said Abbas has briefed PLO officials of his intention to declare statehood at the world leader’s forum during his speech, scheduled for Sept. 27.
The official noted that Abbas’ declaration means to stress that statehood process launched with the 1993 Oslo Accords has effectively ended and that it was time to shelve the concept of the “Palestinian Authority” in favor of the “state of Palestine.”
An Israeli source said that a unilateral move of this nature on Abbas’ part would effectively mean the Palestinian Authority’s withdrawal from the Oslo Accords.
PLO Executive Committee member Wasel Abu Yousef told Asharq Al-Awsat that despite Abbas’ plan, the move has yet to be finalized. He noted that the PLO had already agreed in principle to declare an end to the 25-year-old Oslo process, but has yet to set up the necessary state institutions to take over for the Palestinian Authority, which will disband in the wake of such a move.
Over the years, Abbas has repeatedly threatened to exit the Oslo Accords and stop the Palestinian security forces’ coordination with their Israeli counterparts.
While he has never followed through on his threat, recent months have seen the Palestinian leader become increasingly furious with U.S. President Donald Trump over the latter’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the relocation of the U.S. Embassy there.
Abbas has refused to engage with Trump’s Middle East envoys and has accused Trump of being “grossly biased” toward Israel, saying the U.S. could no longer serve as an impartial mediator in the Middle East peace talks.
He was further infuriated by the White House’s announcement that given his position, the Trump administration may go over his head and push ahead with its peace plan, with the support of the moderate Persian Gulf states.
Abbas has also admitted that Ramallah was actively trying to torpedo Egypt’s efforts to broker a long-term cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, the terrorist group that rules the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian leader claims that Hamas, which ousted his Fatah-led government from Gaza in 2007 in a military coup, lacks the authority to hold any type of negotiations with Israel.
Ramallah sources said that Abbas may pursue the move at the U.N. to prevent his exclusion from any deal involving Gaza’s future.
@ mrzee:
The way they “treat” their sewage, Israel had better stop buying agricultural
produce from them right away.
I’m glad to see he’s ready to provide his own electricity, his own water and sewage treatment plants and start collecting his own taxes. It’s about time the palestinians reached adulthood.
In six months they’d make Somalia look like Switzerland.
Can this be the beginning go the Israel Victory Project?
Send all the Arab former Jordanian West Bankers, or Judeans or Samarians to Jordan.
@ david melech:
That pretty well describes the “Palestinian State”….a confused “State” of mind. The proper thing now for the US to do is to refuse him entry because he’s travelling on a false passport. He needs a “Palestine” passport, and may be able to dredge one up from the rubble of the British Mandate, which issued Palestine passports. But then, he might have do do a little slick forgery to substitute his name. There is a very big
industry in Forgery in YESHA, mainly for fake Title Deeds, so they should be easily able to handle a measly passport.
I can visualise him travelling from place to place asking for a passport like
“The Captain from Koepenick”…… (Albert Basserman performed the most wonderful “Captain” in this forgotten classic of a true story).
If Abbas were to do this and officially Oslo. Israel should immediately declare Israeli Civil Law in all of Area C. Israel should then declare Martial Law for all of Area A/B declaring all those residents enemy aliens.
Israel should capture, kill or deport all terrorist leaders including the PLO, Hamas, Islamic Jihad……….
Kinda hard to be state under occupation when ya never been a state, except a unbalanced state of mind. Be interesting to see a plan of your boundaries, (ISRAEL has no borders) guess your accepting Ramallah as a capital? No doubt a donkey will be your official transport, wonder how you will explain that you was let inta u s a on a Jordan passport? No doubt yav informed u n to address ya as king not president. Hans Christian could be state historian. Will the swiss accept being ya treasury? Mind yu theas used to storing stolon loot. The butt end of a mule could be yur official salute.