Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas called for a multilateral initiative from the international community to bring about the establishment of a Palestinian state, during an address to the United Nations (UN) Security Council on Tuesday.

“To solve the Palestine question, it is essential to establish a multilateral international mechanism emanating from an international conference and in line with international law and the relevant resolutions,” Abbas claimed.

Effectively, Abbas was calling for the international community to replace the United States as the primary mediator between Israel and the Palestinians.

“The United States has contradicted itself and contradicted its own commitments and has violated international law and the relevant resolutions with its decision regarding Jerusalem,” he charged.  “So, it has become impossible today for one country or State alone to solve a regional or international conflict without the participation of other international partners.”

In his address, Abbas also accused US President Donald Trump of having made an “unlawful” decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city and to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Conference in Moscow

Abbas also called for an “international peace conference” to be convened this year in Moscow. Of noteworthy mention is that the PA Chairman had visited the Russian capital last week in an attempt to replace the US as the primary mediator in peace talks.

In an apparent attempt to remain as relevant as possible on the world stage vis-à-vis as a mediator between Israel and the Palestinians, Trump had phoned his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin last week ahead of the latter’s meeting with Abbas.

“President Putin noted that he would meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas later today, and President Trump said that now is the time to work toward an enduring peace agreement,” the White House stated on Monday of last week

According to the Russian news agency, TASS, Putin had conveyed to Abbas “Trump’s best wishes” and said that he and Trump “spoke about the Palestinian-Israeli settlement.”

Abbas nevertheless, had reiterated to Putin his preference for a group of international mediators.

“Should any international conference or any international event take place, we ask for the ultimate creation of a mechanism in which the United States would be part of a group of mediators rather than the sole intermediary,” he said to Putin.

In his address on Tuesday, Abbas also mentioned the Palestinian Authority’s continued efforts in achieving the status of a member state in the United Nations.

“In the coming period, we will intensify our efforts to achieve full membership in the United Nations and to guarantee international protection for our people.”