Abbas: Terror wave happening in part because of “attacks” against “holy sites,” especially Al-Aqsa Mosque; Palestinians “paying a heavy price… from the blood of its sons”
“The following is the text of the president’s [Abbas’] speech before the Djibouti National Assembly:
“Brother president, brothers and sisters, I have come to you from Palestine and Jerusalem’s environs, where our people is engaged in a bitter conflict with the Israeli occupation, and is paying a heavy price [in order to obtain] freedom and independence, from the blood of its sons who are defending their honor, the honor of their Arab and Islamic nation, the holy places of Islam and Christianity, and the pure land.
These days, the Palestinian territories are witness to a state of agitation and tension (this refers to a wave of Palestinian terror attacks since September 2015 –Ed.) due to hopelessness and despair among the young, and the closure of the political horizon that does not herald a better future and a way out of the current situation, which is a result of the continued occupation and attacks against the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, particularly against the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Brother president, brothers and sisters, as we stress, from this firm podium, our adherence to just peace, based on justice and the decisions of international bodies and the Arab Peace Initiative, we reiterate that we will never agree to return to negotiations for the sake of negotiations, and will not be committed to pacts that Israel does not acknowledge. We call on the international community to provide international protection to our people, as Israel, the occupation force lying on our chest, is the reason for all our tragedies, and there is no escape from ending the occupation, holding an international conference for peace and forming an international support group and a multilateral mechanism to resolve the conflict.”
“Brother president, brothers and sisters, I have come to you from Palestine and Jerusalem’s environs, where our people is engaged in a bitter conflict with the Israeli occupation, and is paying a heavy price [in order to obtain] freedom and independence, from the blood of its sons who are defending their honor, the honor of their Arab and Islamic nation, the holy places of Islam and Christianity, and the pure land.
These days, the Palestinian territories are witness to a state of agitation and tension (this refers to a wave of Palestinian terror attacks since September 2015 –Ed.) due to hopelessness and despair among the young, and the closure of the political horizon that does not herald a better future and a way out of the current situation, which is a result of the continued occupation and attacks against the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, particularly against the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Brother president, brothers and sisters, as we stress, from this firm podium, our adherence to just peace, based on justice and the decisions of international bodies and the Arab Peace Initiative, we reiterate that we will never agree to return to negotiations for the sake of negotiations, and will not be committed to pacts that Israel does not acknowledge. We call on the international community to provide international protection to our people, as Israel, the occupation force lying on our chest, is the reason for all our tragedies, and there is no escape from ending the occupation, holding an international conference for peace and forming an international support group and a multilateral mechanism to resolve the conflict.”