Key facts
- The UN General Assembly voted 152-3 to allow Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address the annual gathering via video.
- The US denied Mahmoud Abbas a visa to travel to New York for the UN General Assembly.
- The US extended visa sanctions against Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization members.
- The US cited Palestinian actions to internationalize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including pursuing cases against Israel at international tribunals.
- This is the second consecutive year the US has denied visas to Palestinian officials for the UN General Assembly.
The UN General Assembly voted to allow Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address the annual gathering of world leaders via video for the second consecutive year after the United States again denied him a visa to travel to New York. The resolution, which passed with 152 votes in favor and three against, also permits Abbas and other high-level Palestinian officials to participate in UN meetings via video over the next year if they are prevented from traveling to the US. The US State Department announced on Wednesday that it would extend visa sanctions against Palestinian officials, citing their actions to 'internationalize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,' including pursuing cases against Israel at international tribunals. Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Tammy Bruce stated before the vote that the PA must 'stop subsidizing terror and stop using diplomatic theater as a substitute for serious governance' if it wants to be treated as a partner. The US has a history of denying visas for security, extremism, and foreign policy reasons under a 1947 UN headquarters agreement. Last year, Abbas also addressed the UN General Assembly by video after being denied a visa.