US Bars Abbas from UN Assembly, Citing Past Incitement

The United States has decided not to grant Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas a visa to attend the UN General Assembly in New York, a move that carries significant implications, according to Middle East analyst Yoni Ben Menachem. Ben Menachem explained in an interview that while Abbas will likely deliver his address via video, his physical presence on the UN stage has a far greater impact than a virtual one.

Ben Menachem recalled Abbas's 2015 UN address, where he accused Israel of intending to divide the Temple Mount and build a synagogue within it, and allegedly encouraged the "knife intifada." The analyst stressed that Abbas's physical presence allows him to present his narratives against Israel directly to the international community, an effect that a video speech cannot replicate.

The US decision follows a similar move last year, when Washington denied Abbas a visa, preventing his physical attendance at the assembly. This year's decision comes amid broader US sanctions on senior Palestinian Authority and PLO officials, which were extended just before the global summit. The US has previously accused Abbas of engaging in incitement.