Abbas to demand recognition of Palestinian state at UNGA

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will be delivering an important speech to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Sept. 23. This is likely the 86-year-old president’s last speech to the UN. An important eighth congress of Fatah is due to take place before the end of the year and this large gathering of nationalist Palestinian activists and leaders will most likely reflect the direction and personnel that will lead the Palestinian national movement.

Not only will this be most likely Abbas’ last UN speech, but it comes at a time when the Palestinian political leader must give an accounting of what happened during the past 12 months. In his speech at the same venue, one-year earlier Abbas had put Israel and the world on notice calling for an end to the Israeli occupation. He hinted at the end of his speech that if the two-state solution is not going to be pursued, then the Palestinians might opt for a single state for both Israelis and Palestinians on the condition that they have equal political rights.