Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, made a virtual appearance at this year’s U.N. General Assembly in New York on Thursday. Having been denied a visa by the U.S. administration, he spoke remotely from his party’s headquarters in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, specifically from his office in Ramallah.
During his address, Mr. Abbas, whose prolonged presidency has seen him repeatedly postpone elections, strongly condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza, labeling them “war crimes and crimes against humanity.” He also criticized Israeli leaders for advocating territorial expansion, emphasizing that “Palestine is ours. We will not leave our land. We will not leave our homeland. Our people are rooted like the olive trees.” His speech concluded with sustained applause from the assembly.
The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, views itself as the rightful government of a future independent Palestinian state. Mr. Abbas’s address resonated with an audience largely sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. The ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip has been a dominant theme in speeches by world leaders at this year’s General Assembly, with Palestinian statehood featuring prominently in a recent conference hosted by France and Saudi Arabia.
During this conference, a majority of world leaders officially recognized Palestinian statehood, criticized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which has resulted in 65,000 casualties and over a million displaced individuals, and called for an end to the severe humanitarian crisis, with some leaders, including Mr. Abbas, describing it as genocide.
For decades, Mr. Abbas has dedicated his political career to achieving Palestinian liberation from Israeli military occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state. Despite being elected for a four-year term in 2005, he has remained in power, centralizing authority and suppressing dissent. Polling data indicates a strong desire among most Palestinians for his resignation.
However, this week marked significant progress for Palestinian statehood, as ten Western countries, including France, Britain, Canada, Australia, and Belgium, formally recognized Palestine, joining approximately 150 other nations that had already done so. Both Israel and the United States opposed these recognitions, arguing that they rewarded Hamas, which initiated the Gaza war with its October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, resulting in 1,200 deaths and 250 abductions. They dismissed the recognitions as symbolic gestures with minimal impact on the ground in Gaza.
In his General Assembly speech, Mr. Abbas condemned the Hamas-led attack, stating, “These actions don’t represent the Palestinian people.” However, he reiterated his accusation of “genocide” against Israel and affirmed that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the state of Palestine.
Amidst these developments, Israel’s military conducted airstrikes against Houthis in Yemen, following a Houthi drone attack that injured over a dozen people in Eilat, Israel. The Houthis stated their actions were in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Earlier in the week, President Trump privately assured leaders from Arab and Muslim-majority nations that he would prevent Israel from annexing the Israeli-occupied West Bank. This assurance came as Israeli officials hinted at potential annexation in response to the growing international recognition of Palestinian statehood. Mr. Abbas called for Israel’s withdrawal and expressed his party’s readiness to govern Gaza without Hamas, demanding that Hamas surrender its weapons to the Palestinian Authority. “We reiterate that we do not want an armed state,” he declared.
The U.S. Visa Standoff Explained
As the U.N. General Assembly convened, a key topic was the war in Gaza and Palestinian statehood, though Palestinian leaders were conspicuously absent. The Trump administration denied visas to Mahmoud Abbas and his delegation, citing national security concerns. This decision is controversial given the 1947 Headquarters Agreement between the U.S. and the U.N., which obligates the U.S. to allow unimpeded access for representatives to U.N. headquarters.
While the U.S. maintains the right to safeguard its security, legal experts and the U.N. itself argue that denying visas to heads of government violates international law. Historically, only Yasser Arafat, a previous Palestinian Authority leader, was denied a visa in 1988. However, instances of visa restrictions and delays for delegations from countries like Russia, Iran, China, and Venezuela are not uncommon, often causing missed events. In 2014, the U.S. denied a visa to Iran’s ambassadorial nominee due to his involvement in the 1979 hostage crisis.