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11h ago

UN General Assembly Approves Virtual Address by Abbas After U.S. Visa Denial

Member states acted to preserve Palestinian access to UN forums following Washington’s visa refusals for top officials.

At least nine countries have said they will recognise Palestinian statehood at this year's UN General Assembly.
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Overview

  • The Assembly voted 145–5 with six abstentions to let Mahmoud Abbas submit a pre-recorded speech for the General Debate on September 25 and to allow Palestinian officials to join UN meetings by video for up to one year.
  • The measure also authorizes Palestine to deliver statements by video for the September 22 high-level conference on the peaceful settlement and two-state implementation.
  • U.S. representative Jonathan Shrier explained Washington’s opposition by citing alleged Palestinian noncompliance with Oslo commitments and continued 'pay-for-slay' payments.
  • Delegations from multiple countries condemned the U.S. visa denials as breaching the UN Headquarters Agreement, while Palestine’s envoy urged the host country to honor its access obligations.
  • The General Assembly, by consensus, agreed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may appear by video at the related conference, as several governments signal plans to recognize Palestinian statehood during this session.