New York – Ramallah – Zaytoun News
Addressing the 80th session of the UN General Assembly via video conference after US visa refusal, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stressed that, “there will be no peace without justice, and no justice without Palestine’s liberation.”
The President said: “We want to live in freedom, security, and peace like all other peoples of the earth—in an independent, sovereign state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, living in peace with our neighbors.”
President Abbas stressed that the time has come for the international community to grant justice to the Palestinian people, enabling them to achieve their legitimate rights and break free from occupation.
In his speech, Abbas reviewed the suffering of the Palestinian people due to the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestine.
He emphasized that what Israel is doing is not merely aggression, but a documented and monitored war crime and crime against humanity, which will be recorded in history books and the newspapers of the global conscience as one of the most horrific chapters of the human tragedy of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
The Palestinian President reiterated the need for an immediate and permanent cessation of the war in Gaza, the unconditional delivery of humanitarian aid through United Nations agencies, including UNRWA, an end to the use of starvation as a weapon, the release of all hostages and prisoners on both sides, a full withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip, ensuring that the residents of the Gaza Strip remain on their land without displacement, and the implementation of the recovery and reconstruction plan for both Gaza and the West Bank.
Abbas stressed the need for the State of Palestine to assume its full responsibilities, starting with the Administrative Committee for the Gaza Strip, headed by a minister in the Palestinian government, to manage the Strip’s affairs for an interim period and connect it to the West Bank. This should be achieved with Arab and international support to protect civilians in Gaza and support Palestinian forces under the umbrella of the United Nations, not as a substitute for it.
He said, “The Gaza Strip is an integral part of the State of Palestine, and we are prepared to assume full responsibility for governance and security there. Hamas will have no role in governance, as it and other factions must hand over their weapons to the Palestinian National Authority as part of the process of building the institutions of a single state, a single law, and a single legitimate security force.” He reiterated that we do not want an armed state.
His Excellency affirmed his rejection of displacement plans and the need to halt settlement activity, settler terrorism, and the theft of Palestinian land and property under the pretext of annexation. He also emphasized the need to halt attacks on the historical and legal status of holy sites, all of which constitute unilateral actions that undermine the two-state solution in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem.
The President called for the release of Palestinian tax revenues unlawfully withheld by Israel, the lifting of barriers and the economic blockade on Palestinian cities, villages, and camps, support for national reform efforts, and the holding of presidential and parliamentary elections within a year after the end of the war.
In this regard, Abbas noted that the State of Palestine has begun practical steps by mandating the Interim Constitutional Drafting Committee, which will complete its work within three months, to transition from the Palestinian Authority to the Palestinian state. He said, “We want a modern, democratic state that adheres to international law, the rule of law, pluralism, and the peaceful transfer of power, and is committed to the empowerment of women and youth.”
President Abbas declared his readiness to work with US President Donald Trump, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, France, the United Nations, and all partners to implement the peace plan approved at the conference held on September 22, paving the way for a just peace and comprehensive regional cooperation.
He urged all countries that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine to do so, calling for support for Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations.
Abbas expressed his appreciation to all peoples and organizations around the world who demonstrated in support of the Palestinian people’s rights to freedom and independence, and to stop war, destruction, and starvation. He emphasized his rejection of conflating solidarity with the Palestinian cause with anti-Semitism, which we reject based on our values and principles.
Abbas concluded his speech by addressing our people in the homeland, in exile, and in the diaspora: “No matter how much the wounds bleed, and no matter how long the suffering lasts, they will never break our nd the flag of Palestine will fly high in our skies, a symbol of dignity, steadfastness, and liberation from the yoke of occupation.”
He added: “Palestine is ours, and Jerusalem is the jewel of our hearts and our eternal capital. We will not abandon our homeland, nor will we depart from our land. Our people will remain rooted like olive trees, steadfast like rocks, rising from the rubble to rebuild, sending from their blessed land messages of hope, the voice of truth, and bridges of just peace to the peoples of our region and the entire world.”
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