Palestinian President Abbas Addresses UN General Assembly, Cites Existential Threat

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, in a pre-recorded address to the UN General Assembly on Thursday, stated that the international community is witnessing the "enormous price" paid by Gaza and the West Bank. His speech was prerecorded because the U.S. administration did not grant him an entry visa.

Abbas questioned what the international community awaits when it comes to protecting the Palestinian people, highlighting the accelerating expansion of Israeli settlements and the fragmentation of the West Bank, which he described as being "torn to pieces" while Jerusalem becomes "isolated." He asserted that Israeli policies violate international law and are destroying the two-state solution, a warning previously issued to the UN General Assembly and Security Council.

"The danger is no longer limited to undermining the two-state solution and preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state. It is now a threat to the lives and existence of the Palestinian people in their homeland," Abbas declared. He characterized the current period as one of the most dangerous in Palestinian history, stemming from "decades of historical injustice, displacement, seeking asylum, occupation, and denial" of self-determination, freedom, and independence.

Addressing the situation in Gaza, Abbas spoke of "destruction, starvation, and attempts at expulsion," accusing Israel of committing "genocidal war" and creating an "unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe" through the destruction of neighborhoods, cities, hospitals, schools, and universities.

Abbas also condemned the U.S. administration's denial of a visa for the Palestinian delegation for the second consecutive year, calling it a "terrible punitive measure" and a violation of the UN's host country obligations. He urged the U.S. administration to lift sanctions, return to dialogue based on mutual respect, and work with the international community to implement a two-state solution based on international legitimacy, supporting the side that chooses international law and diplomatic action.