ABBAS TO LAUNCH BID TO END ISRAELI OCCUPATION AT UN

Jerusalem, 3 Dzulhijjah 1435/27 September 2014 (MINA) –Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said that he will launch a bid at the United Nations on Friday to set a timeline for the end of the Israeli occupation.

Abbas said that that the failure of peace negotiations with the Israeli government had made appealing to the international community a necessity, adding that in his speech he will explain the strategic vision that Palestinians will be acting upon.

Abbas is expected to address the UN’s 69th annual General Debate at noon EST (7 p.m. local time) amid growing local concern in Palestine that the Palestinian Authority has not done enough to end Israel’s continued assaults against Palestinians, according to the Maan News Agency report monitored by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).

Most notably the nearly two-month long Operation Protective Edge over summer which left more than 2,000 dead in the devastated Gaza Strip.

Chief negotiator Saeb Erekat told a Ma’an correspondent in New York that Palestinian leaders now believe US-sponsored peace negotiations with Israel have reached a dead end, and that despite disapproval from US Secretary of State John Kerry, they saw this as the best option forward.

Erekat confirmed that the State of Palestine will propose a resolution on Friday to end the occupation and implement all previous international decisions regarding Israel and Palestine.

Erekat said that Palestinian representative Riyadh Mansour expects that the application would take 2-3 weeks until it reaches the “blueprint” stage.

The move is expected to anger Israel, which fought Palestinian membership at the United Nations and staunchly opposes Palestinian attempts to reach out to institutions of international law to secure rights.

Earlier in September, PA leaders said that Abbas had prevented any attempt by Palestinians to prosecute Israel for war crimes at the International Criminal Court, ostensibly in order to push forward the new timeline strategy.

Critics charged, however, that Abbas was merely “stalling” and was bowing to US and Israeli pressure. (T/P002/P3)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)