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On August 15, 2024, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas delivered an address before the Turkish parliament. In his address, Abbas criticized the United States, which he referred to as "the plague," for having used its veto power in the UN Security Council on several occasions in favor of continuing the Israeli "aggression" in Gaza. He also declared that he has decided to visit the Gaza Strip with the other members of the PA leadership, promising to do everything he can to stop Israel's "barbaric aggression," even if it costs him his life. He said: "We adhere to shari'a law: Victory or martyrdom."
He called on the UN Security Council to secure his access to the Gaza Strip, adding: "Our next destination after the Gaza Strip will be Holy Jerusalem, Allah willing." Abbas said that Israel is waging a war of "genocide and ethnic cleansing" against the Palestinian people in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem. He said that the suspected Israeli assassination of the "martyr" Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran was a "crime," and he prayed for Haniyeh's soul. He praised recent actions taken by Turkey against Israel, and on the subject of the "day after" in Gaza, he emphasized that Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem all constitute one independent Palestinian state and that the only legitimate government of this state is the Palestinian Authority. The address was aired on TRT Arabic TV (Turkey).
Mahmoud Abbas: "Allow me, dear brothers and sisters, to start my speech by praying for the souls of the tens of thousands of martyrs who have met their Lord because of the Israeli aggression and the war of genocide and ethnic cleansing that [Israel] is waging against our people in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem.
"The latest [incident] was the crime against the leader and martyr Ismail Haniyeh. I invite you, brothers and sisters, to recite the Fatiha chapter of the Quran for his soul, and the souls of the pure martyrs of Palestine. Let us recite the Fatiha.
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"I particularly salute Turkey's decision to join the case brought by South Africa to the ICJ against the genocide perpetrated by Israel in Gaza. In addition, I salute Turkey's decision to stop its trade with Israel.
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"People are talking these days about scenarios that are being prepared for the so-called 'day-after' the aggression. I am saying loud and clear, so that the whole world hears: The Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem make up one geographical unit which constitutes the independent Palestinian state, according the UN resolutions. That [state] is ruled by one legitimate government, and unless this state materializes, and is recognized, there will be no security and stability in the region.
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"Two-thirds of the Gaza Strip have been completely destroyed. The schools, the mosques, the churches, the institutions, and the streets are all in ruin. Our people there have been completely displaced, and there are thousands of martyrs and wounded people in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as well.
"Despite all this, the United States of America has used its veto power. Imagine that... The U.S. has used its veto power in the Security Council three times, against the world's demand to stop the Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip. Three times, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. stood up in the Security Council, and used the veto power, all by herself, while the other 14 members demanded to stop the fighting. This is America. America is the plague, and the plague is America.
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"The Palestinian state has sovereignty over the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and its eternal capital, Holy Jerusalem.
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"Gaza in its entirety is ours. The West Bank and Jerusalem are also ours. We will not accept any solution that separates one part of our homeland from the other, under any circumstances.
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"I hereby declare, in front of you and the whole world... We have no solution left. The best solution and what I am about to do... I also declare in front of our Palestinian people that I have decided to go, with all the members of the Palestinian leadership, to the Gaza Strip. I will do everything within my power to be – all of us – with our people, in order to stop this barbaric aggression, even if it costs us our lives. Our lives are not more precious than the life of the smallest child in the Gaza Strip and among the Palestinian people.
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"We implement shari'a law: victory or martyrdom.
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"I call upon the UN Security Council – which 80 of its resolutions have not been implemented – to secure our access to the Gaza Strip. We are not asking for anything else. Just get us there. Our next destination after the Gaza Strip will be Holy Jerusalem, Allah willing. We will go to Holy Jerusalem, our eternal capital."
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