RAMALLAH, September 25, 2011 (WAFA) – President Mahmoud Abbas Sunday addressed the cheering Palestinian crowd gathered to receive him as he arrived in Ramallah, saying “raise your heads, you’re Palestinians.”

Abbas, who arrived in his headquarter in Ramallah after submitting the Palestinian application for full United Nations membership of a Palestinian state to the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, said “I headed to the UN carrying your urgent need of an independent Palestinian state,” assuring the Palestinians that the free world received the Palestinian quest that carries their struggle, history and hopes with respect and appreciation.

“We want to achieve our goals through non-violence movements, through negotiations, however, not any negotiations; we will only accept legitimacy as a reference and with a complete halt of the Israeli settlement activities,” Abbas stressed

 “We told the world that the Palestinian Spring is a spring of a popular non-violent struggle to achieve our goals,” he added.

Abbas acknowledged opposition to the Palestinian request to UN statehood, which he described as “refusing of justice and legitimacy,” however stressing the Palestinians’ persistence to exercise their rights.

“We are realistic; our international diplomatic movement has just begun, and we still have a long way to go,” he added, stressing the Palestinian undoubted strength, supported by the Palestinian rights, legitimacy, demands, determination and culture.

Abbas ended his speech quoting the great Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, saying “We’re staying here and we will be…”

R.Q./F.R.