At UN, Abbas calls for Israeli withdrawal to pre-1967 borders

A “new era has dawned at the UN in which one-sided initiatives against Israel will not succeed,” says Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon.

Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas called for an Israeli withdrawal to the pre-Six Day War boundaries during his address to the United Nations Human Rights Council on Monday.

“Peace in the world can be secured by realization of the two-state solution, Palestine and Israel, living side by side on the pre-1967 borders in peace and security,” Abbas said, urging “concerned parties not to take steps that contribute to strengthening the Israeli occupation of the State of Palestine.”

“This includes the support to the Israeli settlement enterprise, attacks against holy places or moving embassies to Jerusalem,” he added, implicitly referencing US President Donald Trump’s stated plan to move the US embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon responded by criticizing the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for allowing the PA chairman a platform to slam Israel.

“It is no surprise that this Council, which has long been divorced from reality, has chosen once again to provide a platform for Palestinian smears against us,” said Danon. “It is time that Abbas and the Palestinian leadership understand that a new era has dawned at the UN in which speeches and one-sided initiatives against Israel will not succeed.”

Danon has criticized the UNHRC for focusing on channeling its condemnations of human rights abuses against Israel while ignoring real human rights atrocities in the region.

Abbas Purports to Defend Human Rights

“‘Palestine’ will remain the greatest test for this Council, and its success in defending human rights in ‘Palestine’ will determine the sustainability of human rights across the world,” Abbas, who was the first to address the Council’s session, said. “We must not fail this test.”

The PA, however, has been criticized for human rights abuses against Palestinians. In its most recent report, Amnesty International condemned the PA for restrictions on freedom of expression, “including by arresting and detaining critics and political opponents.”

PA authorities, according to the report, “restricted the right to peaceful assembly and used excessive force to disperse some protests.”

“Torture and other ill-treatment of detainees remained rife,” the report said, adding that some were “held without charge or trial.”

The Trump administration has not only condemned anti-Israel bias in the UN, but is also considering cutting US financial support to UN institutions that act against the interests of the US and Israel, including the UNHRC, reports indicate.

By: Jonathan Benedek, World Israel News

1967 Six Day WarDanonPalestinian AuthorityTwo State SolutionUNHRC