Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told the United Nations that Palestinians would not abandon their homeland despite the severe challenges facing their people, insisting that Palestinians must retain the right to determine their own future.
Abbas delivered his address to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly through a pre-recorded video on Thursday after the United States denied him a visa to travel to New York. The General Assembly had earlier approved a mechanism allowing the Palestinian delegation to participate virtually after Washington’s visa decision. The United States had also denied Palestinian representatives visas ahead of the previous General Assembly session.
In his address, Abbas warned that Israeli military actions and settlement expansion were threatening the continued presence of Palestinians on their land. He rejected the prospect of another mass displacement and said Palestinians would not surrender their homeland. He also stressed that decisions about the Palestinian people’s future should remain in Palestinian hands.
The speech came as the Gaza conflict and the wider Israeli-Palestinian dispute remained central issues during the UN’s high-level week. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged world leaders to pursue de-escalation and dialogue while warning about the continuing humanitarian consequences of conflicts across the Middle East.
Abbas’s virtual appearance also highlighted the diplomatic dispute surrounding Palestinian access to the UN. The General Assembly’s September 17 resolution was approved by 152 votes to three, with the United States, Israel and Paraguay voting against it. The resolution allowed a pre-recorded statement from Abbas to be played in the Assembly Hall.
The address underlined the Palestinian leadership’s continued emphasis on remaining on its land, pursuing statehood and retaining a role in determining the territory’s political future.
