Palestine President Abbas says he will “reevaluate” U.S. relations after UN veto

The practical implications of Abbas’ statement are unclear, but it is the harshest criticism of U.S. policy he has expressed since President Joe Biden assumed office.

The U.S. on Thursday voted no and vetoed a UN Security Council resolution to accept Palestine as a full member of the UN.

Ahead of the vote, the Biden administration pressed Abbas and his advisers to not move forward with their bid, but the Palestinian president rejected those requests, Axios reported.

Abbas told the official Palestinian news agency WAFA on Saturday that “the hostile positions” taken by the current Biden administration “have generated unprecedented anger among the Palestinian people and the region’s populations, potentially pushing the region towards further instability, chaos, and terrorism”.

He added Palestinian leadership will reconsider its bilateral relations with the U.S. to ensure the protection of Palestinian interests and rights.

“Palestine stands on the threshold of a new and challenging phase, with multiple options ahead…we are going to develop a new strategy to protect Palestinian national decisions independently and follow a Palestinian agenda rather than an American vision or regional agendas.”