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Source: http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/abbas-at-the-security-council
Abbas at the Security Council
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Ghaith al-Omari - In his address to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, PA leader Mahmoud Abbas reiterated the traditional Palestinian narrative and grievances, emphasized his unwillingness to compromise on core Palestinian interests, and repeated his rejection of the U.S. decision to formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Although he called for an international conference, there is very little chance of that happening - the very model he cited, the January 2017 Paris Peace Conference, demonstrated how untenable that approach is. In short, Abbas balanced his domestic need to appear proactive and defiant, but avoided irretrievable diplomatic damage. The writer is a senior fellow at The Washington Institute.