But soon enough, the same eyes were tearing for a different reason: shortly after the signing of the Oslo Accords, Palestinian terrorists introduced suicide bombings against innocent Israelis.
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The Oslo Accords also established economic and security coordination between Israelis and Palestinians, leaving the questions of borders and Jerusalem for future negotiations.
“As long as Israel refuses to cease settlement activities and to the release of the fourth group of Palestinian prisoners in accordance with our agreements, they leave us no choice but to insist that we will not remain the only ones committed to the implementation of these agreements, while Israel continuously violates them”, Abbas said.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) strongly criticized Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ speech to the United Nations General Assembly calling his remarks “the latest and most blatant public repudiation of peace and reconciliation with Israel“. He stipulated that given the circumstances, Palestine “cannot continue to be bound by these agreements and that Israel must assume all of its responsibility as an occupying power”.
Israel does uphold its agreements.
Habbash told the Bethlehem-based Ma’an news agency that Abbas’s speech has “inaugurated a new phase” in relations between the Palestinians and Israel – one that is based on “reciprocity”.
Stopping short of announcing that he would dismantle the Palestinian Authority, Abbas hinted that the Palestine Liberation Organisation would take up a bigger role instead, reiterating that decisions of its institutions were binding for the Palestinians. “By continuing to incite violence, support terrorism and spew antisemitism, the Palestinian leadership consistently has shown it is neither interested in preserving the Oslo Accords nor achieving lasting regional stability”.
Netanyahu used the first part of his speech to criticise the global community for reaching the nuclear deal with Iran.
After his speech, attending the flag-raising event, Mr Abbas declared: “In this historical moment I say to my people everywhere: Raise the flag of Palestinians very high (as) it is the symbol of our identity”.
Traditionally, only official member states had the right to have their flag up in front of the United Nations tower. One bus after another, as well as restaurants, coffee shops and kiosks, turned into death traps, as Palestinians wrapping themselves with explosive belts brought about their own deaths while claiming the lives of so many others, young and old, men and women, whose only crime was being Jewish.
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The eight countries that voted against the move were led by the United States and Israel and joined by Australia, Canada, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and Tuvalu. The Vatican’s flag went up Friday without ceremony.
