Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas formally submits application for full membership at the United Nations. Continue reading more about this story after the jump.
@capriSUNshine x @TatWza
The move is strongly opposed by Israel and the United States, which has said it will use its veto on the Security Council to prevent it, if necessary.
Addressing the UN General Assembly Mr Abbas said he was ready to return to the negotiations with the Israelis and added that he did not want to isolate Israel.
However he maintained previous peace talks were “smashed against the rocks of the positions of the Israeli government, which quickly dashed the hopes raised by the launch of negotiations last September.”
Mr Abbas said the submitted demand for the recognition of a Palestinian state was based on 1967 borders.
The Palestinian leader won huge applause and a standing ovation from some of the assembly as he entered the hall shortly after asking the UN to admit the state of Palestine.
There was also applause when he paid tribute to the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, during his speech to the annual assembly meeting.
A spokesman for the UN said the Palestinian bid for UN membership will be “quickly” handled and sent to the UN Security Council.
Meanwhile, diplomats from the international “Quartet” of Middle-East mediators are trying to craft a statement that would resolve the impasse and enable direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority to resume.
Reports from New York say envoys from the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations have continued to work constructively on the issue and will meet again today.
US President Barack Obama insisted in a speech to the UN General Assembly that kick-starting the negotiations with Israel – which broke down a year ago after the Jewish state resumed settlement building – was the only path towards a lasting peace.
But the address sparked angry demonstrations in the West Bank and Gaza, with Palestinians accusing Mr Obama of double standards for praising the Arab spring protests while seeking to block Palestinian dreams.
The speech did “not meet Palestinian hopes for the freedom and independence that the US administration is calling for for all people, except the Palestinians,” said top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat.
