Palestinians make history at UN

UNITED NATIONS: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas made history in his people’s long quest for statehood as he formally asked the United Nations on Friday to admit Palestine as a full member state.


Snubbing fierce opposition from Israel and its regional ally the United States, Abbas handed the application letter to UN chief Ban Ki-moon at 1535 GMT buoyed by more than 120 nations which have already recognized a Palestinian state.The American administration did everything in its power to disrupt our project, but we are going through with it despite the obstacles and the pressure because we are asking for our rights,” Abbas said late Thursday.


“There are small countries in the world that have gained their freedom and independence, but we still haven’t got ours,” he told the Palestinian community in New YorkUS President Barack Obama insisted to the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday that only new Israeli-Palestinian talks could bring lasting peace.


His speech sparked angry demonstrations in the West Bank and Gaza, with Palestinians accusing Obama of a double standard for praising the Arab Spring protests while seeking to block Palestinian dreams of statehood.


Abbas was to leave New York after giving his U.N. speech to return to the Palestinian territories for consultations on the next step forward.