Mahmoud Abbas
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Jumblat: Revision of Civil War Necessary to Understand Real Reasons behind Palestinian Involvement

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat noted on Monday that the wars that have taken place in Lebanon have been part of a “great settlement” aimed at harming the Palestinian independent decisions and usurping Lebanon’s national will.

He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa magazine: “A critical revision of the Lebanese civil war is necessary, as is a deep examination of the real reasons why Palestinian armed groups were involved in it.”

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Cheering Crowds Welcome Abbas Home from U.N.

Thousands of cheering Palestinians welcomed their president Mahmoud Abbas at his Ramallah headquarters on Sunday as he returned from delivering a historic U.N. membership bid.

An Agence France Presse reporter saw Abbas descend from his motorcade and enter the presidential building known as the Muqataa.

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Hariri: Abbas’ Speech Uncovered Israel’s Intentions to Reject Peace

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri praised on Saturday Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ speech at the United Nations where he demanded that Palestine be admitted as a full member state at the international organization.

He said in a statement: “The speech revealed Israel’s hostile plans and its hidden intentions to reject all efforts to achieve peace.”

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Palestinian U.N. Joy, But Difficult Questions Remain

Palestinians basked in the joy of their historic U.N. bid on Saturday, but difficult questions about the move's consequences and the future of their dream of statehood remained.

On Friday night, tens of thousands of people packed into the centers of cities across the West Bank to cheer their president Mahmoud Abbas as he urged the United Nations General Assembly to approve the membership request.

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Abbas Asks U.N. to Admit State of Palestine

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas made history in his people's long quest for statehood as he formally asked the United Nations on Friday to admit Palestine as a full member state.

Snubbing fierce opposition from Israel and its regional ally the United States, Abbas handed a formal application to U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon at 11:35 am (1535 GMT) buoyed by more than 120 nations which have already recognized a Palestinian state.

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Israel Boosts Security Ahead of Palestinian U.N. Bid

Israel on Friday will raise its level of security alertness in case unrest accompanies Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's application for U.N. membership for a Palestinian state, police said.

"We will be heightening security by one level in general. This is being coordinated by the military, border police and Israel police," police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld told Agence France Presse.

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Mansour: Syria’s Destabilization Will Affect Entire Region

Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour has said that instability in Syria affects negatively on the entire region’s security situation and called for assisting the Assad regime in carrying out reforms.

“The destabilization of the security (situation) in Syria will negatively affect the stability and security of the entire region and this can’t be compared to what happened in Libya when the international community was asking to topple its regime,” Mansour told his Portuguese counterpart on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meeting.

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Abbas Decisive over Seeking U.N. Membership, Rules Out ‘Confrontation’

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday that he isn’t after a “confrontation” with the United States or any other country over a bid for U.N. membership of a Palestinian state.

“The Palestinian people have the right to have a recognized state in the international community. This is our right,” Abbas told An Nahar.

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Jordan's King: Israel’s Peace Talks Stance, Assad Regime Contribute to Instability

Jordan's King Abdullah II has warned that Israel's stance in peace talks with the Palestinian is fuelling instability in the Middle East, in remarks published Tuesday in The Wall Street Journal.

"If we can't get the Israelis and Palestinians together in this next couple of days, then what signal is that for the future process?" King Abdullah asked in a WSJ interview in New York ahead of the U.N. General Assembly.

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Israel Says Palestinian U.N. Bid Will Fail

The Palestinians will not be able to secure a Security Council majority in favor of their bid to become a United Nations member state, Israel's cabinet secretary Tzvi Hauser predicted on Tuesday.

Speaking on Israeli military radio, Hauser said the Palestinians would fail to obtain the nine yes votes they need to keep alive their hopes of becoming a member state on the lines that existed before the 1967 Six Day War.

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