Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas delivered a virtual address to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, 2026, warning that the Palestinian people are in danger of being displaced from their land. Abbas, who was denied a visa to attend the gathering in person, spoke from Ramallah and read from a prepared text. He emphasized that the threat to the Palestinian people is no longer just about preventing a Palestinian state, but about their very existence on their homeland.
Abbas, 91, was resolute in his message, stating that the Palestinian people will remain on their land and will not accept displacement or disappearance. This was his 20th address to the UN General Assembly, which has passed numerous resolutions condemning Israel and supporting Palestinian statehood. The Trump administration had barred Abbas from entering the United States for the event, citing the PA's pursuit of legal action against Israel in international institutions and its policy of providing stipends to Palestinians jailed by Israel for acts of terror.
Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, responded to Abbas's speech on social media, criticizing the PA leader for funding terror. The Israeli Foreign Ministry also posted a photoshopped picture of Abbas surrounded by wads of cash, claiming that the stipends were higher for those involved in serious attacks. The Ministry accused Abbas of rewarding and encouraging terror, stating that the more blood spilled, the greater the reward.
Abbas reiterated his commitment to a two-state outcome, with a demilitarized Palestinian state, and nodded to some Trump administration demands. He also condemned Israel's military actions in Gaza over the last three years, which have resulted in 70,000 Palestinian militants and civilians being killed. The International Court of Justice is examining whether Israel's actions constitute genocide.
The Palestinian leader also spoke out against Jewish extremist violence and terror against Palestinians in the West Bank, including the burning of homes and the shooting of Palestinian civilians. He called on the international community not to remain silent and to stop providing Israel with weapons, stating that these actions and policies are part of a "malicious" plan to encourage "ethnic cleansing".
Abbas made an urgent appeal to the international community not to allow another Nakba, or "catastrophe", referring to the displacement of 750,000 Palestinians from their homes in Israel's War of Independence. He urged the international community to prevent terrorist gangs protected by Israeli forces from burning Palestinian homes and to stop Palestinian children from living in fear and under threat.
Israel's Foreign Ministry responded to Abbas's appeal, posting a photo from the site of a Palestinian ramming attack in the West Bank that seriously injured the son of Israel's ambassador to the United States. The Ministry accused Abbas of defaming Israel at the UN while Israelis face a sustained wave of Palestinian terror attacks, and claimed that Palestinian terrorists are shooting, stabbing, and targeting Israelis while Abbas and the PA continue to incite and glorify violence.
Key points
- Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the UN General Assembly, vowing resilience in the face of Israeli actions.
- Abbas warns that the Palestinian people are in danger of being displaced from their land.
- The Israeli Foreign Ministry responds to Abbas's speech, criticizing the PA leader for funding terror and accusing him of defaming Israel.
