What did Abbas say at the United Nations on the “Nakba” anniversary, and what is the position of Israel and the United States?

(CNN) — Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called on the United Nations on Monday to commemorate the “Nakba,” the more than 700,000 Palestinian refugees now forced to flee their homes in Israel.

Speaking on the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, Abbas urged the UN to “make May 15 a day to address the plight of the Palestinians” in its first high-level commemoration. Full,” he said.

“Today we formally demand that Israel respects these resolutions or suspend Israel’s membership in the United Nations, in accordance with international law and international resolutions,” the Palestinians said in hundreds of UN resolutions over the years. Ensuring their rights.

During his speech before the United Nations, Abbas said: “The key step for the Israeli government, along with its partners, is to recognize responsibility for this Nakba… killing, displacement and destruction,” he said. .

He warned: “If Israel and its supporters fail to take responsibility for the Nakba, we will send thousands of complaints to the International Criminal Court.”

In response, Israeli officials boycotted the UN event, urging diplomats from other countries not to participate.

On Sunday, Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, “strongly urged” other ambassadors not to participate in what he called the “shameful Nakba event,” according to a copy of the letter obtained by CNN.

Erden said, “Events like this only serve to demonize Israel and exclude any possibility of reconciliation.”

In recent months, the Israeli Foreign Ministry and Ambassador Erdoğan have made efforts to persuade countries not to participate in the event. “To attend this shameful event is to destroy any chance for peace by accepting the Palestinian narrative that describes the establishment of the State of Israel. A disaster,” Erdan said.

Abbas noted that the United Kingdom was “responsible for the flight of the Palestinians and the annexation of Israel to our historic homeland,” and also hit out at Israel’s main ally, the United States, saying the British and Americans must “take political and moral responsibility.” Exodus of the Palestinians.”

The United States and the United Kingdom were among 30 countries that voted against a UN resolution to hold a “Nakba commemoration” this year, and Erden said he had managed to convince “many countries” to boycott the event on Monday.

A spokesman for the US embassy to the United Nations, Nate Evan, said on Monday that the US, along with other countries including Germany and the UK, had no plans to attend the event because of concerns about anti-Israel bias within the UN. We do not support events organized by organizations with an anti-Israel bias.

“In no event does the US presence or representation reflect our commitment to the Palestinian people, and we are aware of the dire plight of Palestinian refugees,” said US State Department Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel.