US Mideast policy dampens hope for peace: Abbas

UNITED NATIONS - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday berated the United States for its Middle East policy, saying it dampens the hope for peace and jeopardizes the two-state solution.

"This US policy has emboldened the government of the Israeli occupation to renege all signed agreements with us and its commitments toward peace, depriving the peace process of any credibility, pushing large segments of the Palestinian people to lose hope in the possibility of a long-awaited peace," Abbas told the UN General Assembly General Debate. "It has jeopardized the two-state solution."

Now many wonder if the two-state solution has become impossible, he said.

"Can we have a one-state solution, where everyone can live equally?" he asked. "I will tell you: I am only for a two-state solution. ... I will not accept any one-state solution. I will not accept apartheid. We want a two-state solution based on international legitimacy."

He condemned a series of measures taken by the US Donald Trump administration concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

What is unfortunate and shocking is that the United States, as a permanent member of the Security Council, instead of maintaining international peace and security and upholding UN resolutions, is supporting the Israeli aggression against Palestine, reneging on its international political, legal and moral obligations, he said.

"The US administration has undertaken extremely aggressive and unlawful measures, declaring Jerusalem as the so-called capital of Israel and moving its embassy there, in blatant provocation to the sentiments of hundreds of millions of Muslims and Christians, for whom Jerusalem is a central part of their religious faith," Abbas said.

Despite all the measures, Jerusalem will remain the eternal capital of Palestine, he said.

The US administration also decided to close the representation of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Washington, and "immorally and inhumanely" terminated all of its contributions to UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine refugees, he noted.

Then, Washington spoke of the so-called deal of the century, and peddled deceptive and elusive economic solutions after its policies and measures destroyed all possibilities of peace, said Abbas, referring to Washington's new Middle East peace plan yet to be revealed.

"I challenge the US if they have any 'deal of the century' in addition to what they have proclaimed -- and what they have proclaimed is rejected. It is rejected. It is rejected," Abbas said.

Abbas warned that the annexation of occupied Palestinian territory will lead to the termination of all agreements with Israel.

A week before the recent Israeli elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that, should he prevail in the elections, he would annex and apply Israeli sovereignty to the Jordan Valley, northern Dead Sea, and "Israel's colonial settlements" despite the fact that all these areas are occupied Palestinian territory, said Abbas.

"We reject entirely and completely this plan. Our response: if any Israeli government is to proceed with this plan, all signed agreements with the government of the occupation and any obligations therein will be terminated," he added.

"It is our right to defend our rights by all possible means, regardless of consequences, while remaining committed to international law and combating terrorism. And our hands will remain extended for peace through negotiation," the Palestinian leader said.