ISRAEL PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU TAKES STAGE TO ADDRESS UN IN NEW YORK.

By Guardian-Harry Cockburn / Taz Ali - Thu 24 Sep 2026 19.56 BST

Mahmoud Abbas, longtime president of Palestinian Authority, earlier gave his speech via a pre-recorded video for the second year in a row.

Palestinian delegation was unlawfully denied entry visas, Abbas tells UN

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Mahmoud Abbas, the longtime president of the Palestinian Authority, is now addressing the gathering. He is delivering his speech via a pre-recorded video for the second year in a row, after the Trump administration refused to grant him a visa.

He said:

For the second consecutive year, the Palestinian delegation was denied the entry visas required to reach New York and participate in the meetings of the United Nations General Assembly in person. We reject these unlawful punitive measures, and we reject the accusations and justifications on which they were based.”

The state department said in a statement that the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organisation had “failed to live up to their commitments”, accusing the groups of “taking actions to internationalise the Israeli-Palestinian conflict including through the international criminal court and international court of justice” and of “glorifying terrorism” among other allegations.

Abbas denied the accusations, saying:

We affirm that we have fulfilled our obligations, carried out a comprehensive national reform programme, and upheld our commitment to international law, to shunning violence and terrorism, and to the two state solution and to peace on the basis of resolutions of international legitimacy.”

19.53 BST

Netanyahu claims Mamdani is antisemitic while defending Israel’s efforts to spare Palestinian lives

We’ve taken innumerable steps to protect the civilian population,” Netanyahu claims. “Is this genocide? Of course not. It’s the opposite of genocide.

“To all those spreading lies about my country and its brave soldiers, whether they sit in this hall, or in the antisemitic office of the mayor of New York, I say this: Shame on you. Shame on you for distorting the facts. Shame on you for inverting victim and aggressor. Shame on you for spitting in the face of truth.”

He adds: “Mr Mamdani, since you were elected mayor of this city, many jews no longer feel safe in New York.”

Earlier this month, The Guardian reported that Israeli attacks in Gaza since 2023 have killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, and injured more than 174,000 others, together representing more than 10% of Gaza’s prewar population.

19.43 BST

Netanyahu hails the IDF as “the most moral army in the world”.

“For three years, our brave soldiers have been valiantly fighting a seven-front war. But there’s an eighth front to this war. It’s the war for truth. It is waged in the world’s media, and most perniciously, in social media. Several foreign countries have spent untold billions to spread lies about my country.”

He salutes the Israeli people for their “unrelenting resolve”.

“This is Israel. One nation fighting for one future,” he adds.

19.37 BST

Netanyahu thanks Donald Trump for his support.

“We have no greater partner than President Trump,” Netanyahu says, saying that the US and Israel have been working together to “save civilisation”. (Hmm)