Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday that the time has come that an independent Palestinian state will become a permanent member of the United Nations.

During a press conference with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera in Ramallah on Saturday, Abbas argued that now is the time to have an independent Palestinian state -- based on the 1967 borders -- that would become a permanent member of the United Nations by September, Haaretz reported.
He stressed that he will ask the Middle East quartet during its next meeting to “take whatever steps are necessary to stop Israel's aggression and occupation of our land.”
Moreover, Abbas reiterated that he will not accept any Israeli peace initiative if it calls for temporary borders for a future Palestinian state and said that he has yet to be notified of the new plan that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to announce in the coming weeks.
“We know that there was a past idea about a state with provisional borders and if this idea is proposed again, we will not accept it,” he added.
The remarks highlight the chasm between Palestinian and Israeli officials over where to begin negotiations that are meant to lead to the creation of a Palestinian state.