Abbas in Turkey vows to return to Security Council with renewed statehood bid

Abbas accuses Israeli government of employing “systematic plan to alter the identity of Jerusalem and choking its residents.”

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reviews the guards of honour during a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Ankara January 12 (photo credit: REUTERS)
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reviews the guards of honour during a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Ankara January 12
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced on Monday that the Palestinians would become full members of the International Criminal Court as of April 1.
Abbas made the announcement during a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.
Abbas said that the Palestinians would soon go back to the UN Security Council to seek a resolution establishing a timeline for an Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 lines.
“We’ll go back to the Security Council after consulting with our brothers and friends,” Abbas said.
Last month, the Palestinians failed in securing a majority of votes in favor of the proposed resolution.
“Nothing will stop us from pursuing our march to extract the rights of our people to freedom and independence,” Abbas said. However, he did not set a date for the renewed Palestinian statehood bid at the Security Council.
Abbas accused the Israeli government of employing a “systematic plan to alter the identity of Jerusalem and choking its residents.”
He also repeated his warning against turning the political and national conflict with Israel into a religious one and thanked Turkey for its continued support for the Palestinians, especially those living in the Gaza Strip.
Referring to ongoing tensions between Fatah and Hamas, Abbas said that the only solution was to hold new presidential and parliamentary elections in the Palestinian territories.