Majdi Mohammed
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during ceremony marking the 8th anniversary of Yasser Arafat's death, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012. Banner behind depicts Arafat, the Dome of the Rock and a Palestinian flag.(AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — A spokesman for the Palestinian president says the Palestinians will proceed with asking the U.N. General Assembly to recognize a Palestinian state, despite a personal call from President Barack Obama to abandon the bid.
Nabil Abu Rdeneh said President Mahmoud Abbas had a long phone conversation with Obama Sunday evening.
He said Obama “expresses his opposition to this step,” but Abbas replied he would carry on.