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Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas makes UN statehood bid
21:55 - 23.09.11
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has submitted his bid to the UN for
recognition of a Palestinian state, the BBC News reported.
He presented a letter requesting full membership of the UN. He is
addressing the General Assembly to argue the case, after a rapturous
welcome.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is to speak soon afterwards. His
spokesman said Israel regretted the step.
Israel and the US oppose it, saying a Palestinian state can only be
achieved through talks with Israel.
US President Barack Obama told Abbas on Thursday that the US will use
its UN Security Council veto to block the move, but Abbas vowed to
press ahead with the bid.
Meanwhile in the West Bank, Palestinians are holding mass rallies to
coincide with the submission of the bid.
Giant TV screens have been set up in several cities so that people can
watch Abbas's General Assembly speech, expected at 16:30 GMT.
"I am going to listen to Abbas's speech because it will tell us our
future and our destiny, and we are expecting so much from him, to
declare our state," Khalil Jaberi, a 21-year-old university student in
the city of Hebron, told the Associated Press news agency.
Abbas has called for peaceful marches in support of his initiative,
but some clashes were reported.
The process began with Abbas presenting a written request for UN
recognition of the Palestinian territories as a state to
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Palestinian sources say the request is concise and short, and
envisages a state based on pre-1967 borders with Jerusalem as its
capital.
Tert.am
21:55 - 23.09.11
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has submitted his bid to the UN for
recognition of a Palestinian state, the BBC News reported.
He presented a letter requesting full membership of the UN. He is
addressing the General Assembly to argue the case, after a rapturous
welcome.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is to speak soon afterwards. His
spokesman said Israel regretted the step.
Israel and the US oppose it, saying a Palestinian state can only be
achieved through talks with Israel.
US President Barack Obama told Abbas on Thursday that the US will use
its UN Security Council veto to block the move, but Abbas vowed to
press ahead with the bid.
Meanwhile in the West Bank, Palestinians are holding mass rallies to
coincide with the submission of the bid.
Giant TV screens have been set up in several cities so that people can
watch Abbas's General Assembly speech, expected at 16:30 GMT.
"I am going to listen to Abbas's speech because it will tell us our
future and our destiny, and we are expecting so much from him, to
declare our state," Khalil Jaberi, a 21-year-old university student in
the city of Hebron, told the Associated Press news agency.
Abbas has called for peaceful marches in support of his initiative,
but some clashes were reported.
The process began with Abbas presenting a written request for UN
recognition of the Palestinian territories as a state to
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Palestinian sources say the request is concise and short, and
envisages a state based on pre-1967 borders with Jerusalem as its
capital.
Tert.am