Abbas at the UN General Assembly
Abbas at the UN General AssemblyReuters

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the official spokesman of Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas, said on Sunday that Abbas will deliver an important speech to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, "which will define the characteristics of the next stage."

He added that Abbas’s visit to New York is intended mainly to convey a diplomatic message to the international community and to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in order to examine the administration’s future actions in the Middle East.

Abu Rudeineh added that Abbas would present the Palestinian Arab position which calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, and would also discusses the PA’s greatest political achievement in 2012, when the UN General Assembly recognized "Palestine" as a non-member observer state.

He reiterated the PA’s opposition to a temporary state, a separate state in Gaza, a state with no borders and expanded autonomy.

Abbas has traditionally used his speeches at the UN General Assembly to lash out against Israel and make false accusations against the Jewish state.

His trip to New York comes amid continued efforts by the United States to resume stalled Israel-PA peace talks.

Trump’s senior advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has visited the region several times as part of the administration’s efforts to restart the talks.

Most recently, Kushner visited in late August and held meetings with both Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Abbas.

While Netanyahu thanked Trump and the delegation led by Kushner for their efforts to pursue peace and stability in the region, PA officials have expressed pessimism that Washington's peace efforts can bear fruit.