Abbas, Netanyahu Talk Past Each Other at UN General Assembly

In a passionate speech before the United Nations General Assembly, Mahmoud Abbas today made good on his bid for full Palestinian membership at the United Nations in the hope of reviving talks with Israel and moving past the stalemate that has characterized negotiations over the past decades.

Just minutes later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the Abbas approach and called for a peace deal before recognition.

President Abbas said the Palestinian request supported the resumption of negotiations and actually enhanced its chances of success.

“ It is no longer possible to redress the issue of the blocked horizon of the peace talks with the same means and methods that have repeatedly been tried and proven unsuccessful over the past years.” Abbas told the General Assembly, in a speech punctuated by applause and cheers from a majority of the national delegations in the assembly hall.

“We extend our hand to the Israeli government and the Israeli people for peace making and I say to them: Let us urgently build together a future for our children were they can enjoy freedom , security and prosperity. Let us build the bridges of dialogue instead of check points and walls of separation.”

The Palestinian President said he presented Secretary General Ban Ki Moon earlier today with an application for admission of Palestine on the basis on the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital.

In the run-up to today’s announcement, Israeli officials repeatedly dismissed Palestine’s application for UN membership as an attempt to pressure and isolate Israel within the international community. 

Abbas argued that the intentions behind the application were quite the opposite and that the Palestinian Authority and people had clearly chosen the path of diplomacy, but could no longer stand by as settlement construction continued.

“Our efforts are not aimed at isolating Israel; or delegitimizing it. Rather we want to gain legitimacy for the cause of the people of Palestine, we only aim to delegitimize the settlement activities , the occupation and apartheid and the logic of ruthless force.” he said “When we bring our plight and our case to this international podium it is a confirmation of our reliance on the political and diplomatic option and is confirmation that we do not undertake unilateral steps.”

Last September, Palestinian officials walked away from talks after the Netanyahu government refused to extend a moratorium on settlement construction in the Occupied Territories.

The Obama administration first tried to pressure Israel to maintain the 2010 construction freeze, but stepped back from its demands after Netanyahu indicated settlement construction would go on.

 Taking to the podium a few minutes later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu challenged the Palestinian President’s assertions about the failure of negotiations. 

“President Abbas just stood here and he said that the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the settlements. Well thats odd, our conflict was raging for nearly half a century before there was a single Israeli settlement in the West Bank.” he told world body. “The core of the conflict is not the settlements. The settlements are a result of the conflict. Its an issue that has to be addressed and resolved in the course of negotiations,  but the core of the conflict has always been and unfortunately remain the refusal of the Palestinians to recognize a Jewish state in any border.”

Netanyahu said the Palestinians leadership continued to deny the historical connection Jews have with the state of Israel and Jerusalem and ignore its legitimate security concerns. 

“Israel is the Jewish state. President Abbas, stop walking around this issue, recognize the Jewish state and make peace with us.” 

Netanyahu said his government had worked hard to advance peace since he had taken office, but Palestinians officials refused to respond to his offers. 

“President Abbas, why don’t you join me? We have to stop negotiating about the negotiations. Lets just get on with it. Lets negotiate peace.” he said to applause “I cannot make peace alone, I cannot make peace without you. President Abbas, I extend my hand, the hand of Israel in peace.”