Palestinian President Abbas Calls US Visa Denial ‘Unlawful’ As He Addresses UN By Video

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the United Nations General Assembly by pre-recorded video on Thursday after the United States denied him and other senior Palestinian officials visas to attend the high-level session in New York for the second consecutive year.

Abbas spoke from Ramallah, while the Palestinian delegation remained absent from the General Assembly hall. The Associated Press reported that the US had denied visas to Abbas and other top Palestinian officials for the gathering.

In remarks to the Assembly, Abbas said Palestinians were facing one of the most dangerous periods in their history and called for international action over the war in Gaza and the situation in the West Bank. He also renewed his call for a two-state solution.

UN Vote On Palestine

The virtual appearance followed a UN General Assembly decision allowing the State of Palestine to participate remotely in the 81st session.

The Assembly adopted the resolution earlier this month by 152 votes to three, with four abstentions. The measure established special arrangements allowing Palestine to participate in the General Debate and other high-level meetings through pre-recorded statements when its representatives could not attend in person.

During the UN debate on the resolution, the Palestinian observer said the leadership rejected the denial of visas and described it as a violation of the obligations of the country hosting UN headquarters. The Palestinian representative said the denial had occurred for the second year in a row.

Russia, China and Iran also criticised the US decision during the explanation-of-vote session. China said the United States had again denied visa applications submitted by Palestinian officials and argued that the UN Headquarters Agreement created obligations for the host country to facilitate access to UN meetings.

US Visa Restrictions

Washington has defended the visa restrictions as part of sanctions against Palestinian Authority officials and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Earlier last week, the US State Department said it was extending visa sanctions against PLO members and PA officials, citing what it described as failures to meet previous commitments. The department referred to Palestinian actions at international organisations, including the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice, efforts to seek unilateral recognition and allegations relating to payments and public statements concerning terrorism.

The State Department said it would maintain a standing waiver for personnel notified to the PLO Observer Mission to the United Nations.

Abbas Calls For Two-State Solution

In his address, Abbas urged the international community to intensify efforts to protect Palestinians and called for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He said Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank should ultimately be governed under a single Palestinian political authority and reiterated support for a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, according to AP.

The virtual address allowed Abbas to participate in the General Assembly despite the visa dispute, but the Palestinian leadership and several UN member states said the arrangement should not become a substitute for in-person participation in future UN meetings.