US Blocks Abbas Entry to UN; Palestinians Seek Remote Address

The Palestinian Authority is pushing for a special resolution at the UN General Assembly to allow Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to deliver his address remotely during the upcoming diplomatic week in New York. This move comes after the United States denied Abbas entry into the U.S. as part of sanctions imposed on senior Palestinian Authority and PLO officials.

The vote on the resolution is expected Thursday. According to the draft, Abbas would be permitted to deliver a pre-recorded speech to be screened during the General Assembly's general debate. A Palestinian representative present in the hall would offer opening remarks before the screening, and the full text would be distributed in writing to all UN member states afterward. The Palestinians also seek to enable Abbas to participate via video conference or a recorded statement at a conference on the two-state solution, with similar arrangements proposed for other Palestinian representatives unable to travel to New York.

The U.S. State Department informed Congress that the PLO and the Palestinian Authority have failed to uphold their commitments to the United States, citing American laws concerning Palestinian obligations and the Middle East peace process. The department stated that the PA and PLO initiated and supported actions in international institutions that contradict previous commitments and sought to internationalize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.

Furthermore, the State Department accused the Palestinians of attempting to bypass negotiations by promoting unilateral recognition. The U.S. administration specifically highlighted the continued payments to "terrorists" and the glorification of terrorists and acts of terror in public statements and textbooks. Consequently, the U.S. decided to extend sanctions preventing visa issuance to PLO members and senior PA officials, while maintaining an exemption for the PLO's observer mission staff at the UN.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, commented that Abbas cannot continue to pay terrorists and their families while expecting open doors, stating that those seeking to be part of the international community must behave accordingly. U.S. Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, noted that the State Department's decision reflects the lack of progress on promised reforms and suggested Europe is ignoring the reality the U.S. clearly sees.