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In a powerful remote address to the U.N. General Assembly from Ramallah, West Bank, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas delivered a scathing condemnation of Israel’s actions in Gaza, labeling them “war crimes.” He firmly rejected any notion of Palestinians abandoning their land, emphasizing their deep roots.
Denied a U.S. visa, Mr. Abbas spoke via video, also denouncing the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, stating unequivocally, “These actions don’t represent the Palestinian people.” He expressed the Palestinian Authority’s readiness to assume responsibility for Gaza post-conflict, stipulating that Hamas would have no role in its governance and urging the group to disarm. “We reiterate that we do not want an armed state,” he declared.
Addressing a largely sympathetic international audience, Mr. Abbas highlighted the ongoing global focus on the Gaza conflict at the General Assembly, particularly the recent surge in recognition for Palestinian statehood following a Franco-Saudi conference. World leaders have increasingly acknowledged Palestinian statehood, criticized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza which has resulted in 65,000 deaths and over a million displacements, and appealed for an end to the humanitarian crisis. Mr. Abbas himself characterized Israel’s conduct as “genocide.”
He extended gratitude to nations recognizing Palestinian statehood, reminding the assembly of his authority’s prior recognition of Israel’s “right to exist” in 1988 and 1993. Mr. Abbas also critiqued Israeli leaders advocating for territorial expansion, asserting that the Gaza Strip is an inseparable component of the future State of Palestine.
Despite recent suggestions from Israeli officials about potential annexation of parts of the West Bank in response to statehood recognitions, President Trump reportedly reassured Arab and Muslim-majority leaders that he would not permit such actions. Mr. Abbas concluded his address with an emotional vow: “It will not break our will to survive. Palestine is ours.”
In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar dismissed Abbas’s speech as mere rhetoric. On social media, Saar stated, “Israel will cannot be deceived again,” while the Israeli Prime Minister’s office reiterated: “The shameful capitulation of some leaders to Palestinian terror does not obligate Israel in any way. There will be no Palestinian state.”
Having served as President of the Palestinian Authority since 2005, beyond his elected four-year term, Mr. Abbas has faced criticism for consolidating power and suppressing dissent, with polls indicating a public desire for his resignation. Nevertheless, the week marked significant progress towards Palestinian statehood, as ten Western nations — including France, Britain, Canada, Australia, and Belgium — joined approximately 150 other countries in formal recognition.
Both Israel and the United States opposed these recognitions, viewing them as a concession to Hamas, the group responsible for the 2023 attack on southern Israel that claimed around 1,200 lives and led to 250 abductions. Gazan officials report over 64,000 casualties in the enclave due to Israeli military operations, figures that do not differentiate between combatants and civilians.
Reporting by Johnatan Reiss, Natan Odenheimer, and Adam Rasgon.
The United Nations announced a full investigation after President Trump reported “sinister” technical glitches during his General Assembly appearance. This follows complaints from Trump about a brief teleprompter failure and an escalator pausing unexpectedly. The U.N. confirmed receiving a report from the U.S. mission and pledged full cooperation. Previously, the U.N. attributed the escalator stoppage to a videographer from the presidential delegation triggering a safety mechanism by running backward. They also noted that the White House typically provides and operates its own teleprompter systems at the U.N.
Interestingly, President Abbas refrained from direct criticism of President Trump, despite the U.S. administration’s decision to deny him an in-person visa for the General Assembly. This marks a shift from his earlier term, where Abbas frequently clashed with the Trump administration, even prohibiting Palestinian officials from engaging with them. Now, in what appears to be Trump’s second term, Abbas seems to be actively working to mend relations with the American president.
While President Abbas addressed the U.N., Israel’s military reported conducting airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. These strikes were a direct response to a Houthi drone attack a day prior, which injured over a dozen individuals in the Israeli resort city of Eilat. The Houthis have consistently launched attacks against Israel, asserting their solidarity with Palestinians amidst the conflict in Gaza.
Addressing widespread concerns about a potential Israeli annexation of Gaza, President Abbas declared with unwavering resolve that Palestinians, despite immense suffering, would stay in Gaza and reconstruct their homeland. “It will not break our will to survive,” he affirmed. “Palestine is ours. We will not abandon our land. We will not abandon our homeland. Our people are rooted like the olive trees.” His powerful words were met with prolonged applause.
President Abbas articulated a vision for a modern, democratic Palestinian state with a peaceful transfer of power. He conveyed his party’s readiness to collaborate with President Trump, Saudi Arabia, France, and the United Nations to enact the “New York Document” — a peace plan endorsed by a majority of U.N. member states, outlining a roadmap for a two-state solution and the establishment of a Palestinian state. He underscored this by stating, “There can be no justice if Palestine is not free.”
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas affirmed his government’s willingness to take charge of Gaza and urged Hamas to disarm, asserting that the group would be excluded from future governance of the territory. He also expressed gratitude to the nations that recently recognized Palestinian statehood, recalling that his Authority had previously acknowledged Israel’s “right to exist” in both 1988 and 1993.
Aligning with sentiments expressed by numerous world leaders this week, President Abbas reiterated the accusation that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. This claim is further supported by a recent U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry report. Israel, however, has consistently rejected these allegations, maintaining that its military operations are solely focused on dismantling Hamas militants.
During his address, President Abbas explicitly condemned the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. He stressed to the General Assembly, “These actions do not represent the Palestinian people.”
President Abbas declared the Gaza Strip to be an inseparable component of the Palestinian state. He affirmed his party’s readiness to assume complete control of the territory, demanding that Hamas hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority. “We reiterate that we do not want an armed state,” he stated.
Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority leader, is currently addressing the U.N. General Assembly via video. Speaking from his party’s headquarters in Ramallah, West Bank, he is framed by two large Palestinian flags and a prominent sign on his desk proclaiming, “State of Palestine.”
Trump Assures Arab Leaders: No West Bank Annexation by Israel.
This week, President Trump privately assured leaders from Arab and Muslim-majority nations that he would not permit Israel to annex the Israeli-occupied West Bank. This significant reassurance comes amid recent calls from Israeli officials hinting at potential annexation in response to several countries, including Britain, Canada, and France, formally recognizing a Palestinian state.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has been under pressure from his right-wing allies to extend Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, with far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urging “immediate” adoption of such a measure just days ago. However, Mr. Trump’s commitment against annexation was made during a United Nations General Assembly sideline meeting, as confirmed by an Arab official and other sources who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions.
Attendees at this pivotal meeting included the presidents of Turkey and Egypt, the emir of Qatar, the king of Jordan, and the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates. French President Emmanuel Macron later confirmed that Mr. Trump concurred on the counterproductive nature of Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, emphasizing it was unrelated to Hamas.
The prospect of annexation has drawn strong opposition across the Arab world, with Palestinian leaders and much of the international community long envisioning the West Bank as integral to a future independent Palestine. Currently, approximately three million Palestinians reside in the West Bank, alongside half a million Israelis in settlements widely considered illegal. Many Palestinians argue that Israel’s existing policies, including severe restrictions on movement and construction, already constitute a de facto annexation.
Palestinian officials acknowledge that while international recognition holds symbolic weight, it has yet to alleviate the harsh realities faced by Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza. Echoing his long-standing stance, Prime Minister Netanyahu recently reiterated his opposition to Palestinian statehood, declaring: “There will be no Palestinian state west of the Jordan River. For years, I have prevented the establishment of this terrorist state, facing tremendous pressures at home and abroad.”
During the meeting, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff outlined an American plan for ending the Gaza war, which includes the release of all hostages and a cessation of hostilities. While many hostages from the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack have been returned, about 20 are believed to still be alive. Hamas has linked their release to a permanent end to the war, Israeli troop withdrawal, and the freeing of Palestinian prisoners. Netanyahu, however, demands Hamas’s complete surrender and disarmament, terms the group has publicly rejected.
French President Macron also appealed to Mr. Trump to exert pressure on Israel for a resolution to the conflict, telling French broadcasters, “You have a prominent role to play… You, who supports peace and wants to make peace in the world.”
Reporting by Catherine Porter and Isabel Kershner.
Visa Standoff: Trump and the U.N.
As the United Nations General Assembly convenes in New York City this week, discussions are largely dominated by the war in Gaza and the pursuit of Palestinian statehood. However, a notable absence is the Palestinian leadership itself.
The Trump administration’s decision to deny visas to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his delegation has sparked controversy. Given that the U.N. headquarters is in New York, the U.S. is responsible for issuing visas to attending leaders and diplomats. The State Department justified its refusal of Mr. Abbas’s visa on national security grounds.
This denial comes just after France and over 100 other nations formally recognized a Palestinian state at a conference focused on a two-state solution. The United States, however, insists that Palestinian statehood must be achieved through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Here’s a closer look at the intricacies of this diplomatic standoff.
What Does the U.S.-U.N. Headquarters Agreement Say?
In 1947, the U.S. and U.N. formalized their relationship with the 16-page Headquarters Agreement, which was ratified by the U.S. President and Congress, establishing it as federal law. Section 11 explicitly states that U.S. federal, state, or local authorities “shall not impose any impediments to transit to or from the headquarters district.” This right of access extends to representatives of member states and any individual officially invited by the U.N. or its agencies for official business.
Crucially, the agreement also dictates that visa provisions apply “irrespective of the relations existing between the Governments of the persons referred to in that section and the Government of the United States.” Any disputes concerning host-country issues are meant to be handled by a 19-member committee of member states, with arbitration as a final recourse.
U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric confirmed, “We have raised this issue with the United States based on the obligations under the Headquarters Agreement and sought clarification. We are concerned about the possible consequences of the decision.”
Can the U.S. Deny Entry to U.N. Leaders and Diplomats?
This question has long been a source of contention. While U.S. lawmakers approved the Headquarters Agreement, they simultaneously passed separate legislation asserting that the agreement could not undermine the United States’ right to safeguard its national security. This supplemental legislation states: “Nothing in the agreement shall be construed as in any way diminishing, abridging, or weakening the right of the United States to safeguard its own security and completely to control the entrance of aliens into any territory of the United States other than the headquarters district and its immediate vicinity.”
However, the United Nations and numerous legal experts contend that the U.S. is violating the Headquarters Agreement, asserting a legal obligation to grant visas and unimpeded access to U.N. participants. They argue that the host-country agreement contains no such loopholes and its language is unambiguous. Larry Johnson, a former U.N. assistant secretary-general for legal affairs, noted, “There is an underlying dispute between the U.N. and U.S. that it has been there since 1947.”
Has the U.S. Previously Barred Diplomats?
Historically, an outright denial of entry for a head of government attending the General Assembly is exceptionally rare. The sole precedent occurred in 1988 when the U.S. denied a visa to then-Palestinian Authority leader Yasir Arafat, although he attended subsequent U.N. gatherings. Robert A. Wood, a former deputy ambassador to the U.N., stated that while visa restrictions and delays occasionally arise for delegations from countries like Russia, Iran, China, and Venezuela due to intelligence or security concerns, a complete rejection of a head of government’s access is highly unusual. “This is a very controversial issue, and whenever we have had this issue brought up about denying visas it’s always the question of whether we have the legal right to do it,” Mr. Wood commented.
Diplomats from Russia and Venezuela have frequently complained that the U.S. deliberately prolongs the visa process, effectively denying them participation by issuing visas only after the scheduled events have concluded. This year, Brazilian delegates, whose nation has defied U.S. pressure regarding the criminal prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro, received their visas just days before the General Assembly.
In 2014, the U.S. successfully denied a visa to Iran’s ambassadorial nominee due to his involvement in the 1979 American diplomat hostage crisis. Iranian diplomats also typically face severe movement restrictions, limited to a 25-mile radius around the U.N. building. These limitations can be even more stringent; for instance, in 2019, Iran’s then-foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, was prevented from traveling a mere 20 blocks to visit his ambassador at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for medical treatment.