Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas at U.N. Says U.S. Can’t Lead Peace Effort He calls for an international conference to restart Middle East peace negotiations By Farnaz Fassihi and Felicia Schwartz
https://www.wsj.com/articles/palestinian-leader-mahmoud-abbas-at-u-n-says-u-s-cant-lead-peace-effort-1519170384
UNITED NATIONS—Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called at the United Nations on Tuesday for an international conference in 2018 to restart peace negotiations, in a clear jab at Washington’s historically central role in resolving the peace crisis.
Mr. Abbas, addressing a monthly Security Council meeting on the Middle East, said the goal of the conference would be to expand the role of multiple world powers—including the five permanent members of the Council—along with regional actors in helping Israelis and Palestinians reach a two-state solution. Washington, he said, had “contradicted itself and its own commitments and has violated international law.”
Mr. Abbas was referring to President Donald Trump’s decision in December to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Under international agreements and U.N. Security Council resolutions, Jerusalem is considered a “final status” issue to be determined in the last stages of peace negotiations.
“It has become impossible today for one country or state alone to solve a regional or interactional conflict,” Mr. Abbas said. “To solve the Palestine question, it is essential to establish a multilateral international mechanism emanating from an international conference.”
Mr. Abbas’s proposal was quickly countered by Israel and the U.S. Israel’s Ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, said the only way forward would be direct talks between Israel and Palestinian leaders and criticized Mr. Abbas for leaving the room after his speech, saying he was “running away.”
U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said that without the U.S. in the role of key mediator, the Palestinians “would get nowhere.”
Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law and adviser on Middle East peace talks, and U.S. Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt were present at the chamber and sat behind Ms. Haley, meeting afterward with the Security Council.
“You can choose to denounce the United States, reject the U.S. role in peace talks, and pursue punitive measures against Israel in international forums like the U.N. I assure you that path will get the Palestinian people exactly nowhere toward the achievement of their aspirations,” Ms.Haley said. CONTINUE AT SITE
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