Abbas says Israeli occupation main reason for Middle East instability

The Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory is the “main reason” for the lack of security and stability in the Middle East, the Palestinian Authority president has said. Mahmoud Abbas made his comment in advance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on 29 November, reported Anadolu.

“It is now apparent to the entire world that the main reason for the lack of security and stability in the Middle East is the existence of this illegal occupation,” said Abbas. The Israeli occupation must be removed from the territory of the State of Palestine, he insisted, including its capital, East Jerusalem, to ensure the realisation of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, particularly the right to self-determination, and achieve a just and agreed-upon solution to the Palestine refugees question in accordance with UN Resolution 194 (III).

The PA president pointed out that disregarding the Palestinians’ legitimate rights over the past 76 years, and treating Israel — the occupying power — as a state above the law, shielding it from accountability and providing it with impunity for its crimes, has emboldened it to defy international legitimacy and international law, and to persist in its aggression at every level.

Abbas stressed that the only way to halt the dangerous escalation in the region, and maintain regional and international stability, security and peace, is to resolve the question of Palestine on the basis of international law. In particular, he called for the immediate implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2735 to ensure the provision of humanitarian assistance to the entire Gaza Strip, Israel’s full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the assumption of the State of Palestine’s sovereign responsibilities, and the return of the displaced Palestinians to their homes.

READ: Israel PM Netanyahu primarily responsible for October attack, probe finds