Abbas: Nothing Will Stop Statehood Bid

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said Monday that nothing would keep him from requesting that the United Nations recognize a Palestinian state as the General Assembly gets underway this week. Abbas said he is moving forward with the plan despite intense opposition from the U.S. and Israel and “tremendous pressure” to drop it in favor of direct negotiations with Israel. But he said there is “no contradiction between negotiations and going to the U.N.,” and that the proposals coming out of an intense effort to stop the statehood bid had all been unacceptable. Statehood is officially recognized by the U.N. Security Council, and requires nine out of 15 votes.