India supports UN approval of Palestinian President's virtual address after US visa denial

New York [US], September 19 (ANI): India on Friday voted in favour in the UN General Assembly to permit Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to deliver a virtual address next week after the President Donald Trump administration cancelled his visa.

The UN General Assembly concluded its session with a positive signal for the Palestinian President, as it received an overwhelming majority, with 145 nations supporting it, while five countries (Israel, the United States, Palau, Paraguay, and Nauru) opposed it, and six abstained from voting.

“The State of Palestine may submit a prerecorded statement of its President, which will be played in the General Assembly Hall,” said the resolution, which passed on Friday, Al Jazeera reported.

The move comes weeks after the Palestinian Authority urged Washington to reinstate Abbas’s visa so that he could travel to the United States to lead the Palestinian delegation and address the UNGA in person.

Abbas was among 80 Palestinian officials whose visas were revoked by the US State Department, citing national security concerns.

The General Assembly speeches are scheduled to begin on Tuesday after leaders gather on Monday for a summit — hosted by France and Saudi Arabia — that aims to build momentum towards a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, as per Al Jazeera.

The Trump administration’s decision has received widespread criticism, with the UN asserting that it violates the Host Country Agreement, under which the US is obligated to permit heads of state and government to travel to New York for annual meetings and diplomatic business, according to Al Jazeera.

The US visa curbs come amid growing condemnation of Israel’s war on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and a wave of Israeli settler and military violence in the occupied West Bank.

In response to Israel’s devastating attacks over the past nearly two years, an increasing number of countries, mainly in Europe, have announced intentions to back Palestinian statehood at the UN this September.

According to local health officials, Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 65,141 people and wounded 165,925 since October 2023, with thousands more believed to be buried in the rubble. (ANI)

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