US denies Abbas UNGA visa despite 1947 treaty, 152 nations support video link speech
During this week's UN General Assembly in New York, the US denied Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas a visa to address the assembly, violating the 1947 UN-USA Headquarters Agreement that guarantees entry for UN officials regardless of bilateral relations. Abbas instead spoke via video link after 152 UN member states voted to uphold his right to be heard, with only the US, Israel, and Paraguay opposing.
For Nigeria as a UN member state committed to multilateralism, this US action undermines the very principles of international diplomacy that guide our foreign policy and global engagements. The US cited Abbas' support for Palestinian legal actions against Israel at the ICJ and ICC, plus PA stipends to families of those convicted by Israeli courts, as reasons for the block. Abbas characterized Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank as genocide during his address, urging global intervention.
In contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a nearly empty UNGA hall after 77 delegations walked out in protest over his ICC arrest warrant for alleged war crimes. Netanyahu's speech focused on regional threats, claiming elimination of Houthi, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Syrian leadership.
Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump attended the UNGA session, held a three-hour meeting with Iranian officials, and commented on potential US action against Iran. The vote underscored growing international isolation of the US-Israel position on Palestinian UN participation.