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Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas delivered a strong speech at the UN General Assembly on Sept. 20, strongly focusing on the two-state solution while rejecting any compromise on the issue of support to prisoners and families of martyrs.
In a 3,047-word speech in New York City, Abbas referred to the Israeli “occupation” 28 times, criticizing US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman's reference to an alleged occupation. “It is thus very strange to hear some of those who hold the responsibility to end this occupation referring to it as an 'alleged occupation,'” Abbas said.
The Palestinian president also used the term “peace” 27 times and referred to “Israel” and “Palestine” 26 times each. The "State of Palestine" was referred to 18 times, while the term “two-state solution” was mentioned 13 times. Neither US President Donald Trump nor Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who spoke before Abbas, ever mentioned Palestine, the occupation or the two-state solution in their respective speeches at the General Assembly.
Perhaps the strongest part of the speech by Abbas was his reference to prisoners and martyrs. In the close of his address to members of the UN General Assembly, he praised Jerusalemites, Palestinians in exile and in the diaspora, and Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, encouraging them to be patient and promising that “freedom is coming and is inevitable.” Abbas used the term “I salute” in addressing the groups, including a special group that has been the subject of Israeli and US congressional criticism.
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