We therefore declare that we cannot continue to be bound by these agreements
and that Israel must assume all of its responsibilities as an occupying
power, because the status quo cannot continue and the decisions of the
Palestinian Central Council last March are specific and binding.

Full text of Abbas’ 2015 address to the UN General Assembly
September 30, 2015, 8:58 pm
http://www.timesofisrael.com/full-text-of-abbas-2015-address-to-the-un-general-assembly/

Full text of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ address to the
United Nations General Assembly, September 30, 2015. (This is the Arabic
translation to English of Abbas’ speech, as submitted to the UN, and as it
appears on the UN’s website.)

In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful
H.E. Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, President of the General Assembly,
H.E Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations,
Excellencies, Heads of Delegations

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I come before you today from Palestine, compelled to sound the alarm about
the grave dangers of what is happening in Jerusalem, where extremist Israeli
groups are committing repeated, systematic incursions upon Al-Aqsa Mosque,
aimed at imposing a new reality and dividing Al- Haram Al-Sharif temporally,
allowing extremists, under the protection of Israeli occupying forces and
accompanying ministers and Knesset members, to enter the Mosque at certain
times, while preventing Muslim worshipers from accessing and entering the
Mosque at those times and freely exercising their religious rights.

This is the scheme that the Israeli government is pursuing, in direct
violation of the status quo since before 1967 and thereafter. By doing so,
the occupying power is committing a grave mistake, because we will not
accept this, and the Palestinian people will not allow the implementation of
this illegal scheme, which is aggravating the sensitivities of Palestinians
and Muslims everywhere.

I call on the Israeli government, before it is too late, to cease its use of
brutal force to impose its plans to undermine the Islamic and Christian
sanctuaries in Jerusalem, particularly its actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque, for
such actions will convert the conflict from a political to religious one,
creating an explosive in Jerusalem and in the rest of the occupied
Palestinian territory.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my honor to come before you to speak on behalf of the state of
Palestine before your esteemed General Assembly in this session, which
coincides with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the United
Nations, which has made the promotion and protection of international peace
and security and the preservation of human rights its most central goals.

The question of Palestine was one of the first just issues brought before
the United Nations from the time of its inception, and yet it remains
unresolved until this moment, as the organization and its members continue
to be unable to end this injustice inflicted upon our people and to assist
our people to exercise their right to self-determination and freedom in
their independent and sovereign state.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I ask you to consider the history of the question of Palestine and the
relevant United Nations resolutions to realize the obvious truth: that a
historic injustice has been inflicted upon a people and a homeland, a people
that had lived peacefully in their land and made genuine intellectual,
cultural and humanitarian contributions to mankind. This people do not
deserve to be deprived of their homeland, to die in exile or be swallowed by
the sea, or to spend their lives fleeing from one refugee camp to another.
Yet regrettably, their just cause remains at a standstill after the passage
of all these years.

Our people have placed their hopes on the countries of this organization to
help them to gain their freedom, independence and sovereignty, so that their
wish and right to their own state, like all other peoples of the Earth, can
be achieved, along with a just solution for the Palestine refugee issue in
accordance with General Assembly resolution 194 and the Arab peace
initiative.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are calling for rightness, justice and peace. While Palestine was
partitioned into two states – according to which Israel was established 67
years ago- the second part of that resolution still awaits implementation.
Palestine, which is an observer state in the United Nations, deserves full
recognition and full membership. It is unreasonable and painful – in light
of all the enormous sacrifices we have made, our patience over all of these
years of exile and suffering, and our acceptance to make peace according to
the two-state solution based on international law, the relevant United
Nations resolutions, the Arab peace initiative, and the Quartet roadmap –
that the question of Palestine unjustly remains unresolved.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Continuation of the status quo is completely unacceptable because it means
surrender to the logic of the brute force being inflicted by the Israeli
government, as it continues its illegal settlement expansion in the West
Bank, especially in occupied East Jerusalem, and continues its blockade of
the Gaza Strip, deepening the immense suffering of our people there, in
defiance of United Nations resolutions and the agreements signed between the
two sides under international auspices. We recall here the words of the late
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1976, when he stated that Israel
will become an apartheid state if it continues its occupation of the
Palestinian territory and described the Israeli settlements on Palestinian
land as “cancer”.

The persistence of this matter prompts us to ask: do the votes by democratic
countries against Palestine-related resolutions and the legitimate rights of
our people serve peace and those who believe in the two-state solution? Or
do they serve and encourage extremists and increase their hatred and racism,
making them believe that they are above the law, to the point where they
commit the burning of a Palestinian family in the town of Duma in the West
Bank, claiming the lives of an infant, Ali Dawabsheh, and his father and
mother? What is left of this family is an orphan child, Ahmed, four-year
old, who lies between life and death in the hospital as a result of his
bums, while the killers remain free and have not yet been arrested.

This is not the first crime. Before, they burned alive and killed the
Palestinian child, Mohammed Abu Khdeir, in Jerusalem, and the child Mohammed
Al-Dura in Gaza, and before them thousands have been killed in Gaza and the
West Bank. And, we still remember the Deir Yassin massacre and all of the
crimes against our people that have passed without punishment. For how long
will Israel remain above international law and without accountability?

Due to the time constraints, I shall not be able to discuss in detail how
many Israeli violations are being committed against our people and how many
repressive laws have been issued by successive Israeli governments, the
latest of which is the formal legislation of instructions to fire live
ammunition at and arrest and repress peaceful Palestinian demonstrators, as
it continues to impose this illegal occupation.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

We do not respond to the Israeli occupation’s hatred and brutality with the
same. Instead, we are working on spreading the culture of peace and
coexistence between our people and in our region, and we are anxious to
realize it and to witness the day when all of the people in our region will
enjoy peace, security, stability and prosperity. This cannot be achieved
with the continuation of the occupation, settlement colonization, the wall,
the burning of people, places of worship and homes, the killing youth,
children and infants, the burning of crops, and the arrest and detention of
people without charge or trial.

How can a state claiming to be an oasis of democracy and claiming that its
courts and security apparatus function according to the law accept the
existence of a so-called “price tag” gangs and other terrorist organizations
that terrorize our people, their property and holy sites, all under the
sight of the Israeli army and police, which do not deter or punish, but
rather provide them with protection.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Is it not time to end this injustice? Is it not time to stop this suffering?
Is it not time for the racist annexation wall to be dismantled? Is it not
time for the humiliating and degrading checkpoints and barriers set up by
the Israeli occupying forces in our land to be removed, for the Israeli
blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip to be lifted, and for our people to move
in freedom and dignity in their own homeland and outside? Is it not time to
end the racist, terrorist, colonial settlement of our land, which is
destroying the two-state solution? Is it not the time for the six thousand
Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli jails to see the light of
freedom and to live among their families and communities? Is it not the time
for the longest occupation in history suffocating our people to come to an
end?

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Despite all the obstacles imposed by the occupation, we, since the
establishment of the Palestinian National Authority, and until this moment,
have worked incessantly to build the foundations of our state, its
infrastructure and sovereign national institutions. We have made real
progress on the ground, as affirmed by several international bodies,
especially the United Nations, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund.
We will continue our efforts and work, with the support of our brothers and
friends, to strengthen our state, committed to international standards, the
rule of law and transparency as a democratic and modern state.

In this context, we highly value the efforts of the AHLC, under Norway’s
chairmanship, and urge donor countries to continue to support a better life
for our people and our efforts to develop our state institutions. In this
context, our accession to membership of international organizations and
treaties and conventions, is not directed against any one, but rather aimed
at safeguarding our rights, protecting our people, harmonizing the laws and
regulations of our country with international standards, and strengthening
its international legal status and identity.

As for the internal Palestinian situation, we are determined to preserve the
unity of our land and our people. We will not accept temporary solutions or
a fragmented state. We seek to form a national unity government that
functions according to the program of the Palestine Liberation Organization,
and we seek to hold presidential and legislative elections.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Palestine is a country of holiness and peace. It is the birthplace of
Christ, the messenger of love and peace, and the Isra’ and Mi’raj (ascension
to heaven and night journey) of Mohammed, peace be upon him, who was sent as
a mercy unto the world. This is Palestine that is still looking for peace,
and its people want to live in their homeland in safety, security, harmony,
stability and good neighborliness with all peoples and countries of the
region. This is attested to by their cultural, humanitarian and spiritual
contributions to humanity from the start.

Recently, on 17 May 2015, two nuns from Palestine, Alphonsine Ghattas and
Mariam Baouardy, were canonized as saints by His Holiness Pope Francis at
the Vatican in the presence of tens of thousands of the faithful from around
the globe. The flag of Palestine was raised at the Vatican, which recognized
the state of Palestine, as documented in the agreement signed between the
Holy See and the state of Palestine.

We aspire to see the independent state of Palestine taking its rightful
place among the community of nations, and we are confident that it will
actively contribute to the achievement of economic, cultural, and
humanitarian progress of civilization, with positive effects on our people,
the region and the world.

It is from Palestine, and with Palestine, that peace will be achieved.

Here, I wish to express, on behalf of our people, deepest gratitude to the
countries that voted in favor of the resolution enabling us today to raise
the flag of the state of Palestine at United Nations Headquarters. The day
is not far when we will raise the flag of Palestine in East Jerusalem, the
capital of the state of Palestine.

I wish also to pay tribute to the recent decisions by the European
parliaments that have clearly condemned Israel’s settlement activities and
its products and affirmed the right of the Palestinian people to sovereignty
and independence in their State alongside the State of Israel, and that also
established a Committee on the relations with Palestine.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Several European countries and parliaments also affirmed their recognition
of the State of Palestine, reaffirming our natural fight to independence. In
this regard, we thank the Kingdom of Sweden for its courage and recognition
of the state of Palestine. Indeed, the countries that say they support the
two-state solution must recognize the two states, not just one.

Today, I appeal to those countries that have not yet recognized the state of
Palestine yet, to do so. We are confident that they will do so, based on
conviction in the justice deserved by our people and their cause.

From this rostrum at the United Nations and in this period of religious
holidays, I also extend a sincere call to the people of Israel for peace
based on justice, security and stability for all. I must also call again on
the Security Council and the General Assembly to uphold their
responsibilities before it is too late and the chances for peace are lost.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

You are all aware that Israel undermined the efforts made by the
administration of President Barack Obama in past years, most recently the
efforts of Secretary of State John Kerry aimed at reaching a peace agreement
through negotiations. The policies and practices of the Israeli Government
and the positions of its Prime Minister and cabinet members lead to a clear
conclusion: it is working extremely hard to destroy the two-state solution
that we are seeking on the basis of the resolutions of international
legitimacy.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

We welcome the international and European efforts, including the French
initiative calling for the formation of an international support group for
the achievement of peace. In their recent summit, the Arab States confirmed
their support for a resolution by the Security Council that reaffirms the
clear parameters for a peaceful solution in accordance with the two-State
solution based on the pre-1967 borders and that sets a timeframe for ending
the occupation. It is no longer useful to waste time in negotiations for the
sake of negotiations; what is required is to mobilize international efforts
to oversee an end to the occupation in line with the resolutions of
international legitimacy. Until then, I call upon the United Nations to
provide international protection for the Palestinian people in accordance
with international humanitarian law.

Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have tried to oblige Israel to implement the signed agreements and to
negotiate in conformity with the two state solution through direct contacts
with the Israeli government, as well as through the United States, the
Russian Federation, the European Union, and the United Nations (the Quartet
members) and other parties. However, the Israeli government insists on
continuing its destruction of the two-state solution and on entrenchment of
two regimes on the ground: an apartheid regime that is currently imposed on
the territory of the state of Palestine and against the Palestinian people
on the one hand, and another regime of privileges and protection to the
Israeli settlers on the other hand.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The transitional Oslo Agreement and its annexes, and the subsequent
agreements signed with Israel, stipulated that the agreements would be
implemented within five years, ending in 1999 with full independence for the
state of Palestine and the termination of the Israeli occupation. But Israel
stopped the completion of the process of withdrawing its forces from areas
classified as “B” and “C”, which represent more than 60% of the territory of
the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Instead, it intensified its
settlement activities everywhere. Since the speech of President Obama in
Cairo in 2009, in which he called for the cessation of settlement
activities, the Israeli government increased settlement activities by at
least 20%, violating its obligation not to undertake any action illegally
and unilaterally that would prejudge the final solution. Moreover, the
occupying power has repeatedly infringed upon the areas classified “A”,
which are supposed to be under full Palestinian security jurisdiction and in
which we have developed the institutions of the Palestinian State.

At the same time, as Israel refuses to review the economic agreements that
control the ability of the Palestinian economy to develop and be
independent, it is determined to impose dominance on our economy, similar to
its military and security dominance, and rejects the right of the
Palestinian people to development and to their natural resources. As such,
Israel has destroyed the foundations upon which the political and security
agreements are based, which have also been undermined by the measures taken
by successive Israeli governments that have negated the transitional phase
aimed at realizing the independence of our State, and has perpetrated gross
violations, which have made the situation unsustainable.

Thus, we declare that as long as Israel refuses to commit to the agreements
signed with us, which render us an authority without real powers, and as
long as Israel refuses to cease settlement activities and to release of the
fourth group of Palestinian prisoners in accordance with our agreements,
they leave us no choice but to insist that we will not remain the only ones
committed to the implementation of these agreements, while Israel
continuously violates them.

We therefore declare that we cannot continue to be bound by these agreements
and that Israel must assume all of its responsibilities as an occupying
power, because the status quo cannot continue and the decisions of the
Palestinian Central Council last March are specific and binding.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The state of Palestine, based on the 4th of June 1967 borders with East
Jerusalem as its capital, is a state under occupation, as was the case for
many countries during World War II. Our state is recognized by 137 countries
around the world and the right of our people to self determination, freedom
and independence is recognized globally as being inalienable and
unquestionable.

I further recall General Assembly resolution 67/19 of 2012, which accorded
to Palestine observer state status, reaffirmed that the Executive Committee
of the Palestine Liberation Organization would be the interim government of
the state of Palestine and that the Palestinian National Council is the
Palestinian parliament of the state of Palestine.

I must reiterate: the current situation is unsustainable. Our people need
genuine hope and need to see credible efforts for ending this conflict,
ending their misery and achieving their rights. We will start the
implementation of this declaration by all peaceful and legal means.

Either the Palestinian National Authority will be the conduit of the
Palestinian people from occupation to independence, or Israel, the occupying
power, must bear all of its responsibilities.

At the same time, and based on our commitment to the principles of
international law, the state of Palestine will continue in its efforts to
accede to international conventions and organizations, and it will move
forward in the defense of its people under occupation through all available
legal and peaceful means, including as a High Contracting Party to the
Geneva Conventions of 1949 and a State Party to the Rome Statute of the
International Criminal Court. Those who fear international law and
international courts must cease committing all crimes.

Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

My hands remain outstretched for the just peace that will guarantee my
people’s fights, freedom and human dignity. I say to our neighbors, the
Israeli people that peace is in your interest, in our interest, and in the
interest of our future generations. Narrow vision is destructive. I hope
that you will consider the dangerous reality on the ground and look to the
future and accept for the Palestinian people what you accept for yourselves.
Then, you will find that the achievement of peace will be possible, and you
will enjoy security, safety, peace and stability. These are the aspirations
that we also seek to realize for the Palestinian people.

I thank you for your kind attention.

May the peace, mercy and blessings of God be upon you.