Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas appealed Friday to the United Nations to arrange an international conference on the peace process, in the wake of Gulf Arab recognition of Israel.
In an address to the UN General Assembly, Abbas asked Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to convene the meeting “early next year” and bring in “all relevant parties.”
“The conference should have full authority to launch a genuine peace process based on international law,” Abbas told the virtual General Assembly in a recorded address.
“It should aim to end the occupation and grant the Palestinian people their freedom and independence in their own state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital and settle final-status issues, notably the refugee question,” he said.
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain earlier this month agreed to recognize Israel, a major coup Israel and diplomatic win for US President Donald Trump.
The two Arab states, while saying they still support a Palestinian state, share concerns of Israel and the United States about neighboring Iran.