Abbas address to UN Security Council on Trump peace plan
Official PA TV, special broadcast for PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' speech at the UN Security Council on Feb. 11, 2020, hosting Chairman of the Palestinian Center for Strategic Research Dr. Muhammad Al-Masri, and political analyst in Gaza Dr. Hani Al-Aqqad
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas: "I have come to you today in order to say to you that peace between the two peoples – the Palestinian and the Israeli – is still possible and achievable…
I call on the [UN] Security Council to send an investigative committee to Palestine about corruption alone, or something else, so that it will discover that this young state that is under occupation is clean of corruption…
We have worked to spread a culture of peace among our people, among all the Palestinians. We say to them: 'Only peace. We do not want war. We do not want violence. We do not want terror.' We fight violence and terror throughout the world…
We fight against terror. We are not terrorists. It does not matter what happens to us – we will continue to adhere to the war on terror…
In 1993 we signed the Oslo Accords, and we are committed to the Oslo Accords – with all of its details and all of its clauses. We have also recognized Israel and Israel has recognized us. We recognize Israel – [it is] in the Oslo [Accords] (Click here to view video) ...
Ladies and gentlemen, our Palestinian people can no longer bear the continuation of this occupation in our land, and this whole situation is liable to explode. In order to prevent this, there is no choice but to renew the hope. Do not cause the loss of hope…
I want to show you this map. 2017- 1917, 1937, 1947, 1948, 2020. Every time I read this or see it – my heart is torn by grief. This is it? This is what we deserve? This is what the people of Palestine deserves? Why? A question – why? We were here (he points to the 1917 map –Ed.)! Why are we now here (he points to 2020 map –Ed.), in these islands (refers to blocs of a future Palestinian state in the Trump peace plan; see note below –Ed.)?
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(Click here to view video) Once again I emphasize – our struggle is not against the believers of the Jewish religion. We are not against the Jews. We are Muslims. We are not against the Jews. A Muslim who says 'I am against the Jews' is an infidel. If you say 'I am against the Jews' or 'against the Torah' you are an infidel! And not a Muslim! We are not against the Jews. We are against those who attack us, whoever they are and whatever their religion. Our struggle is not against the Jews, but rather against those who occupy our land. Therefore, we will continue the path of our struggle, for which we have sacrificed thousands of Martyrs, prisoners, and wounded, in order to end the occupation and realize our Palestinian state, and we emphasize by this that our people will never hang its head. You have tested us. We will never hang our heads. We want what we deserve…
And I will tell you something – we will never turn to violence and terror, no matter how we are attacked. We will never turn to this. We believe in peace and believe in fighting violence. We will never turn to violence. May the 83 states with whom the Palestinians have signed protocols against terror] become 133 states. We are prepared to cooperate with every state for the war on terror. We are against terror and violence, regardless of its color, form, or source. We will not accept it. We will fight through peaceful popular resistance."
The Trump peace plan – US President Donald Trump announced his Israel–Palestinian peace plan "Peace to Prosperity" – commonly known as “the deal of the century” - on Jan. 28, 2020. Main points of the plan: 1- Israeli sovereignty would be applied to the Jordan Valley and all Israeli towns and cities in the West Bank. 2- Jerusalem, including all its holy sites, would remain under Israeli sovereignty with accommodations made to enable access for Palestinians. 3- The remainder of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and part of what is currently Israeli land in the Negev, the Galilee, and Jerusalem - creating a territory almost equal in size to the West Bank and Gaza Strip - would form the Palestinian state, with its capital in neighborhoods in East Jerusalem that are outside of Israel's security wall. 4- The Palestinian state would be demilitarized, with Israel responsible for external security and controlling all airspace. 5- All Palestinian prisoners except murderers, and those who attempted or conspired to murder would be released. 6- Palestinians in refugee camps would be absorbed into their host countries and, subject to certain limitations, into the Palestinian state. 7- Before becoming a state, the Palestinians would have to carry out extensive reform of their laws and institutions, including implementing a new governing system; granting its people due process and basic human rights and freedoms; end all incitement to and incentivizing of terror; end all glorification of terror and martyrdom; disarm Hamas; and adopt a culture promoting peace. The goal of the plan is to create a Palestinian state beside Israel, living in peace and security. The implementation would be facilitated through extensive international investment.