Abbas: No third intifada; PA seeks int'l recognition

PA president says second intifada was "disastrous" for Palestinian nation; reiterates if peace deal not reached, PA will unilaterally seek UN support.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Abbas311 reuters (photo credit: reuters)
Abbas311 reuters
(photo credit: reuters)
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday said he is against a third Palestinian intifada (uprising) against Israel, even if current attempts to achieve peace fail, according to the Associated Press.
Speaking to reporters in Tunisia, Abbas said that regardless of what happens he "will not accept" a third intifada. Abbas said that the second intifada, which erupted in 2000, was "disastrous" for the Palestinian nation.
RELATED:'PA will get majority UN-recognition for Palestinian state'PA: US must present peace plan before we declare stateKey Quartet meeting put off by a month'Palestinian state declaration would hurt US aid to PA'Abbas explained he remains committed to a US-supported goal of reaching a peace deal with Israel by September.
However, if a deal is not reached, Abbas reiterated the PA's plan to unilaterally seek the support of the United Nations for an independent Palestinian state in September.
The US on Tuesday rejected Palestinian plans to pursue efforts to ask the UN Security Council to recognize a Palestinian state in September.
"We don't believe it's a good idea, we don't believe it's helpful," US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement. "We continue to press both sides to begin talking again in direct negotiations," Toner said.
Abbas, however, has signaled that he is determined to pursue efforts to ask the UN to recognize a Palestinian state.
On Tuesday Abbas said: "We are counting on the words of US President Barack Obama who said his vision is to see a Palestinian state this coming September according to a deadline set by the Quartet."
"More than 130 countries have already recognized a Palestinian state on 1967 borders," the PA president said. "This number has the potential to reach 140 or 150."
Abbas said that Western European countries, such as Britain and France, were also likely to accept the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Khaled Abu Toameh contributed to this report.