UN backs Palestinian President Abbas' video address after US visa refusal

The UN General Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution allowing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address next week’s high-level debate by pre-recorded video after the US refused to issue visas for Palestine’s delegation for a second year.

The resolution was passed overwhelmingly with 152 votes in favor, four abstentions (Colombia, Honduras, Panama and Peru), and three against, including the US, Israel and Paraguay.

The move follows Washington’s decision to extend visa sanctions denying entry to members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and officials of the Palestinian Authority (PA), days before the fall UN General Assembly is set to convene in New York.

The measure, submitted by Palestine, permits Abbas to deliver a prerecorded statement during the general debate of the 81st session of the assembly.

The resolution also allows Palestinian representatives to participate by videoconference or prerecorded statements at certain high-level UN meetings.

It applies only to the assembly’s 81st session and it does not establish a precedent for future general debates or mandated high-level meetings.

Following the vote, Palestine's envoy to the UN Riyad Mansour, thanked member countries that voted in favor.

Mansour said the leadership of Palestine rejects and condemns the action of denying the Palestinian delegation headed by Abbas to exercise its “lawful right" to participate in the meetings.

"This has happened for the second year in a row, and we sincerely hope that that will be the last time that this illegal behavior to exhibit itself and to deny us our rightful right to be with all delegations, with all of heads of delegations, to exercise our duty in conveying our position to the entire international community," he added.