Story perspectives

UN General Assembly Allows Abbas Remote Speech After Visa Denial

By Drooid · Sep 25, 2026, 2:22 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The UN General Assembly voted 152-3 with four abstentions to permit Abbas’s remote speech after United States denied his visa.
Netanyahu addressed the assembly in person while Abbas delivered a pre-recorded video.
Abbas condemned Israel’s actions as a genocidal war and denounced the United States visa ban on Palestinian officials.
Abbas called for a democratic, non-militarized Palestinian state coexisting peacefully with Israel.

History

Historical Context

After the 1993 Oslo I Accord—signed by U.S. President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat and backed by $2.5 billion in aid—created the Palestinian Authority, the peace process has relied on multilateral venues. The UN General Assembly approved a 152-3 resolution permitting Mahmoud Abbas to address the body remotely, echoing Oslo’s use of international forums to legitimize Palestinian leadership.

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Story summary

The UN General Assembly voted 152-3 with four abstentions to permit Abbas’s remote speech after United States denied his visa.
Netanyahu addressed the assembly in person while Abbas delivered a pre-recorded video.
Abbas condemned Israel’s actions as a genocidal war and denounced the United States visa ban on Palestinian officials.
Abbas called for a democratic, non-militarized Palestinian state coexisting peacefully with Israel.

1 / 2