Abbas to Drop 'Bombshell' During UN Speech
JERUSALEM, Israel -- Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas said he plans to drop a "bombshell" at the end of his speech to the U.N. General Assembly later this month.
Abbas told the London-based Arabic language newspaper Al Quds Al-Arabi, "I am not going to reveal now the nature of this bombshell."
Some Palestinians believe he might announce his resignation, while others speculate he could suspend the Oslo Accords signed between the Palestine Liberation Organization, Israel, and the United States in 1993.
Another theory is that he will announce the suspension of security cooperation with Israel, which has kept the level of violence down in Palestinian areas of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank).
Abbas is slated to address the General Assembly on Sept. 29.
Some sources close to Abbas have said he plans to resign before the end of the year, but others deny it.
Meanwhile outgoing Israeli U.N. Ambassador Ron Proser responded to the Security Council's statement calling for both sides to "lower tensions and discourage violence at holy sites in Jerusalem."
"Muslim worshippers at the Haram al-Sharif must be allowed to worship in peace, free from violence, threats, and provocations," the statement read.
"This statement, which only uses the Arabic name for the Temple Mount, affirms the right of Muslims to be present and to pray at the compound, but completely ignores the deep connection of the Jewish people to the Temple Mount and the right of all to visit the site," Proser said.
"The chairman of the Palestinian Authority encourages and legitimizes extremist Islamic activities with his anti-Semitic remarks," he said, opting to "fuel the fire in a most shameful manner."
