Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas kisses the Palestinian flag during the flag raising ceremony at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Sept. 30, 2015. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday expressed his thanks to the 119 member states of the United Nations General Assembly who voted to allow the raising of the Palestinian flag at United Nations Headquarters in New York. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday expressed his thanks to the 119 member states of the United Nations General Assembly who voted to allow the raising of the Palestinian flag at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
"Here, I wish to express -- on behalf of our people -- deepest gratitude to the countries that voted in favor of the resolution enabling us today to raise the flag of the State of Palestine at United Nations Headquarters," Abbas said in his speech to the annual high-level debate of the UN General Assembly, which entered its third day here Wednesday.
The Palestinian flag will be raised in a ceremony here at UN Headquarters at 1 p.m. EST on Wednesday.
"The day -- God willing -- is not far when we will raise the flag of Palestine in East Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestine," Abbas said.
Palestine has been waiting 67 years to be recognized as a full UN member state, he added.
"While Palestine was partitioned into two States -- according to which Israel was established 67 years ago -- the second part of that resolution still awaits implementation," he said. "Palestine, which is an observer State in the United Nations, deserves full recognition and full membership."
Palestine has been considered a non-member state of the United Nations since 2012.
"It is unreasonable and painful -- in light of all the enormous sacrifices we have made, our patience over all of these years of exile and suffering, and our acceptance to make peace ... -- that the question of Palestine unjustly remains unresolved," he said.
He added that Palestine had remained committed to the two-state solution based on international law, the relevant United Nations resolutions, the Arab Peace Initiative, and the Quartet Roadmap.
On Nov. 29, 2012, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to grant an upgrade of the Palestinians status at the United Nations from "entity" to "non-member state," which would amount to the world body's implicit and symbolic recognition of the Palestinian statehood.
The United Nations and the international community as a whole are working together to turn the two-state solution into a reality at an early date. The two-state solution, widely backed by UN member states, means a secure Israel to live with an independent State of Palestine.
