WorldPosted at: Sep 18 2026 9:18AM


UN approves video address of Palestinian President Abbas after US visa denial

New York, Sep 18 (UNI) The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to allow Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address world leaders by video next week, after the US again denied him a visa to attend the annual gathering in New York.
The resolution passed with 152 votes in favor, three against and four abstentions. It will also allow Abbas and other senior Palestinian officials to participate remotely in UN meetings and conferences over the next year if they are unable to travel to the US.
The vote comes after Washington extended visa restrictions on Palestinian officials, including members of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority. The US first announced the restrictions last year, saying about 80 Palestinians would be affected.
"If the PA wants to be treated as a partner, it must stop subsidizing terror and stop using diplomatic theater as a substitute for serious governance," US Deputy Ambassador to the UN Tammy Bruce told the General Assembly before the vote.
Palestinian leaders condemned the US decision, with Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour rejecting the move during the assembly session.
The US State Department said Wednesday that it was extending visa sanctions against Palestinian officials over actions it said sought to "internationalize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," including pursuing cases against Israel before international tribunals.
A Palestinian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Abbas's visa had been denied.
The US is generally required under a 1947 UN headquarters agreement to allow foreign diplomats access to the United Nations in New York. Washington, however, maintains that it can deny visas on security, extremism and foreign-policy grounds.UNI AAB
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