Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday via a prerecorded video speech from his office in Ramallah. Abbas and other top Palestinian officials were denied visas by the Trump administration to attend the gathering in the United States for the second year in a row, an action the Palestinian leader described as unlawful.
During his address, Abbas called for peace and urged nations to support a two-state solution, stating that his people seek a democratic Palestinian state that can coexist with Israel. He asserted that saving this solution requires preserving Palestinian land and protecting those who live on it. Abbas further accused Israel of prosecuting a genocidal war and warned the world not to allow another Nakba, vowing that his people would remain on their land.
The recorded remarks were delivered ahead of an in-person address by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu arrived in New York City for a 12-hour visit and is expected to deliver a defiant speech rejecting criticism over the expansion of settlements in the West Bank and the war in Gaza. Street protests have already begun in the city coinciding with his arrival.