Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will be directly confronting the United States today at the UN Security Council, when he will declare, once again, that he would not accept Washington as a mediator in any peace negotiations.
Despite pressure exerted on Abbas - by his friends in Washington and officials from the former US Administration - to soften his tone towards their country, and attempts to convince him that it was still possible to make peace sponsored by Washington, the Palestinian president did to relax or amend his rhetoric.
Sources close to the matter told Asharq Al-Awsat that Abbas’ speech on Tuesday before the Security Council will be a direct blow to Trump’s administration.
They added that the speech, which was subject to many amendments, would emphasize that Jerusalem was the key to peace in the region and a natural right for Palestinians, Muslims and Christians.
Abbas will again stress that neither the US nor any other country had the right to determine the fate of the city and get it out of the negotiating table, like other files, including refugees.
But the Palestinian president is not only targeting the United States in his speech but wants to embarrass the Security Council itself by recalling its previous resolutions.
In this regard, he will request the establishment of a Palestinian State and will reiterate the need to implement the UN Security Council resolution that calls for a two-state solution, according to the Palestinian representative to the UN, Ambassador Riad Mansour.
Abbas’ speech comes amid heated tension with Washington after the US president’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Abbas arrived in New York on Monday to deliver his speech at the special session of the UN Security Council.
Fatah Movement has asked Palestinians to watch Abbas’ important speech at 5 o’clock Jerusalem time. The movement says Abbas has proved to be an exceptional leader who said “no” to the United States.
