Palestinian President to Address U.N. General Assembly by Video After Visa Denial
Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine, was to deliver Palestine's address to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, September 24, 2026. WAFA
The address was set to proceed by video. In September 2026, the United Nations allowed Abbas to address the General Assembly by video after the United States denied him a visa. Reuters The authorization passed with 152 votes. Reuters
The Assembly adopted a resolution, a formal decision, on participation by the State of Palestine during its eighty-first session by recorded vote, where each member's vote is counted on the record. UN Web TV That vote created the procedural approval for the video statement in the plenary calendar for that session.
Remote delivery by Abbas has happened before. Abbas was listed as a pre-recorded speaker for the 76th session plenary on Friday, 24 September 2021 at 3:00 p.m. in the General Assembly Hall. UN He delivered an address on Friday, 24 September 2021, at the 12th meeting of the General Assembly. UN Digital Library
The pattern continued in a later session. President Mahmoud Abbas was scheduled to deliver the State of Palestine address to the General Assembly on Thursday, September 26 in connection with the 79th session. WAFA UN General Assembly document A/79/PV.11 refers to an address by Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine. UN Digital Library
In his remarks, Abbas told the General Assembly that Palestinians in Gaza "have been facing a war of genocide, destruction, starvation and displacement". PBS The wording puts conditions in Gaza at the center of the Palestinian presentation to member states.
The broader context here is that procedure carries political weight. A participation resolution, adopted by recorded vote, turns a question of physical access into a formal decision by the membership. The tally of 152 gives a clear measure of support for hearing the statement in the Hall even when the speaker cannot be present. For diplomats who track voting patterns, that number will be read alongside the text of the statement itself.
Looking at what this means for the general debate, video keeps a place on the speakers list. It cannot replace being there in person, like keeping a seat at a meeting but missing the hallway conversations. Informal exchange around the Assembly, direct contact with counterparts, and the ability to respond in real time to other speeches depend on being in New York. A remote address therefore keeps the Palestinian position in the official record while leaving open how other delegations engage with it bilaterally and in later talks.
