The United Nations General Assembly voted by a wide margin on Friday to allow Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to deliver his remarks remotely at next week’s high-level session. The move came after the United States barred Abbas and around 80 senior PA officials from traveling to New York for the gathering.
The resolution, which criticized and expressed regret over Washington’s decision, passed with the support of 145 member states. Six abstained, while five countries — including the US and Israel — opposed it.
In addition to permitting Abbas to address the Assembly via video, the measure authorized the PA to take part remotely in a Saudi- and French-organized event on Monday at the UN focused on advancing a two-state solution.
The decision follows recent announcements by several Western nations that they intend to formally recognize Palestinian statehood. In response, the Trump administration declared last month that it would not allow Abbas or his officials to attend the annual UN meetings.
The text of Friday’s resolution implied that Washington’s move might conflict with the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement, which generally obligates the US to provide access for foreign delegations attending the UN in New York. American officials, however, have rejected that claim.
Under the agreement, visas are usually required to be issued to foreign diplomats, but the United States has argued that exceptions are permitted on grounds of national security, extremism, or foreign policy considerations.
Speaking to delegates before the vote, US diplomat Jonathan Shrier said, “US opposition to this resolution should come as no surprise.”
“The Trump Administration has been clear: we must hold the PLO and Palestinian Authority accountable for not complying with their commitments under the Oslo Accords, some of them very basic, and for undermining the prospects for peace,” Shrier added.
The PA, created under the 1993 Oslo Accords, has long faced criticism from Israel for promoting incitement in schools and for providing financial stipends to individuals tied to terrorist activity. Following the Hamas assault of October 7, 2023, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich vowed to dismantle the PA and assume control over the West Bank.
Alongside the vote on Abbas, the UN General Assembly also agreed on Friday — by consensus and without a vote — to allow Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to appear virtually at Monday’s two-state conference.
World leaders have been given the option to participate virtually in past years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Normally, however, the expectation is for speeches to be made in person, which is why the Assembly felt it necessary to adopt a specific resolution enabling Abbas to address the gathering remotely this year.
{Matzav.com}
