No Mideast peace without Palestinians’ full rights: Abbas

Xinhua :
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday that there would be no peace in the Middle East if Palestinians do not fully enjoy their legitimate rights.

“Those who think that peace can prevail in the Middle East without the Palestinian people enjoying their full and legitimate national rights would be mistaken,” Abbas told the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.

He called for Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations and urged countries to recognize Palestine’s statehood.

“I can neither understand, nor accept, that some states, including America and European states, are reluctant to recognize the state of Palestine, which the United Nations has accepted as an observer state,” he said.

He appealed for holding an international peace conference, in which all countries concerned with achieving peace in the Middle East will participate.

He requested UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to make necessary arrangements for the conference.

He also called on the United Nations and the secretary-general to implement the relevant resolutions to provide protection for the Palestinian people.