Palestinian Authority President to address UNGA virtually

Palestinian Authority(PA) President Mahmoud Abbas will address virtually at next week’s UN General Assembly after the US banned him and some 80 top PA officials from attending the high-level New York gathering. The United Nations on Friday voted a resolution, which expressed concern and regret about the US decision, was supported by 145 countries, with six countries abstaining and five, including Israel and the US, voting against. The PA was also permitted under the resolution to submit a pre-recorded video or participate via teleconference in a Saudi- and French-hosted meeting at the General Assembly on Monday about the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

#BREAKING
General Assembly ADOPTS resolution on the participation by the State of Palestine during its eightieth session.

Voting result
In Favor: 145
Against: 5
Abstain: 6 pic.twitter.com/5B6zj5NkRM

— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) September 19, 2025

The text of the resolution adopted Friday suggested that the US decision may have violated the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement — a charge Washington denies.Under the agreement, the US is generally required to allow access for foreign diplomats to the UN in New York. However, Washington has said it can deny visas for security, extremism and foreign policy reasons.

Speaking before the General Assembly vote Friday, 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,” said Shrier.

The West Bank-based PA, which was established under the 1993 Oslo Accords, has been accused by Israel of inciting terrorism through its school curriculum and through financial support to people linked to terrorist attacks. Following the Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023, Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has vowed to topple the PA and take over the West Bank.