Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Israeli government, accusing it of pursuing a "policy of war, occupation and settlement colonization" and rejecting the two-state solutioAbbas's statements came during a fiery speech he delivered at the General Assembly's 67t session in New York.
"Israel is promising the Palestinian people acatastrophe, a new Nakba," the PA president declared.
Abbas began his speech by referring to the "catastrophic danger of the racist Israeli settlement of our country, Palestine."
He claimed that during the past months, "attacks by terrorist militias of Israeli settlers have become a daily reality."
The Palestinians, he said, "are facing relentless waves of attacks against our people, our mosques, churches and monasteries, and our homes and schools; they are unleashing their venom against our trees, fields, crops and properties, and our people have become fixed targets for acts of killing and abuse with the complete collusion of the occupying corces and the Israeli government."
Abbas accused Israel of carrying out a policy of "ethnic cleansing" against Arab residents of Jerusalem by demolishing their homes and denying them basic services. He also accused Israel of preventing "millions of Palestinians from freely accessing Jerusalem mosques, churches, schools, hospitals and markets.
Abbas called on the international comunity to investigate the conditions of some 5,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. "They are soldiers in their people's struggle for freedom, independence and peace," he said of the prisoners.
In his speech, Abbas complained that Israeli restrictions and security measures were aimed at weakening the PA, undermining its ability to carry out its functions and to implement its obligations.
Abbas said that the ongoing stalemate in the peace process has led to one conclusion - "that the Israeli government rejects the two-state solution."
He said that Israel's official positions "reveal to us small enclaves surrounded by large Israeli settlement blocs and walls, checkpoints and vast security zones and roads devoted to settlers."
Abbas declared that he has becun intensive consultations with various regional organizations and UN member states aimed at having the General Assembly adopt a resolution granting a Palestinian state the status of non-member..