Demonstration planned at UN building in New York

Palestinian representative in Washington, Maen Ariekat, Thursday said that a mass demonstration will be organized in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York on September 23, coinciding with President Mahmoud Abbas’ speech to the General Assembly to request a full UN membership of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders and East Jerusalem as its capital. Ariekat, speaking on Voice of Palestine radio, said that the Palestinian and Muslim communities, along with other supporters of the Palestinian cause, will participate in the demonstration, which obtained a US official permit. He said the pro-Israel lobby in Washington was leading a campaign against the Palestinian bid, which resulted in the US Senate demanding to cut off financial aid to the Palestinian Authority and close PLO office in Washington. He denied statements attributed to him saying there would be no Jews in the future Palestinian state, stressing that the these claims were part of the ongoing incitement campaign to create confusion and drift attention from the Palestinian bid.