In a rare appearance at the United Nations Security Council, Mahmoud Abbas sought full UN membership for Palestine. The Palestinian president also called for an international peace conference to be convened this year. It would be part of a new multilateral mechanism to help settle the Israeli Palestinian conflict. CGTN's Liling Tan has the story.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas wants wider support from the U.N. Security Council for the two-state solution, full U.N. membership and stronger criticism against Israeli settlement activity. And all that by way of a new peace effort that would involve more international peace brokers, and less U.S. involvement.

MAHMOUD ABBAS PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT "No country alone can solve a regional or international conflict without the participation of other international partners. Therefore, to solve the Palestine question, and this is our position and our belief, it is essential to establish a multilateral international mechanism."

Abbas' request for a peace conference comes in the wake of the controversial U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv. There was rousing applause at the end of the Palestinian president's remarks, reflecting broad international support, but U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley defended the U.S. decision on Jerusalem.

NIKKI HALEY US AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS "You can choose to denounce the United States, reject the U.S. role in peace talks and pursue punitive measures against Israel in international forums like the UN. I assure you that path will get the Palestinian people exactly nowhere toward the achievement of their aspirations. Or, you can choose to put aside your anger about the location of our embassy and move forward with us toward a negotiated compromise that holds great potential for improving the lives of the Palestinian people."

Israel remains firm on the Jerusalem issue.

DANNY DANON ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS "We will always insist on Israeli sovereignty over united Jerusalem but even fair-minded observers would agree that under any possible agreement, Jerusalem will be recognized internationally as our capital."

LILING TAN NEW YORK "As for Palestinian aspirations for full UN membership, that's unlikely to happen as it would draw an almost-guaranteed US veto within the Security Council. Liling Tan, CGTN, New York."