Abbas Says Won't Announce Dismantling of PA at UN Speech

"Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in conversation with a number of European diplomats last week that he does not intend to announce the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority or the cancellation of the Oslo Accords during his upcoming speech at the United Nations General Assembly, a senior Israeli official told Haaretz.

According to the senior Israeli official, the European diplomats asked Abbas for clarifications following reports in the Palestinian and Arab media of his intended announcements in his September 30th speech.

Abbas, who just a few days ago said he was going to 'drop a bombshell' in the speech, told the diplomats that he had no intention of taking steps like ending security cooperation with Israel...

However, people around Abbas continue to convey the opposite message. The senior Israeli official said that a close associate of Abbas, Saeb Erekat, said recently in conversations with European diplomats that Abbas was going to announce the dismantling of the PA and was going to 'return the keys to Israel.'..."