UN General Assembly meets for third day as leaders raise alarms on human rights, pressing matters

The third day of the United Nations General Assembly meeting kicked off in New York City on Thursday, with leaders from countries all over the world speaking about pressing issues, such as climate change and global conflict. 

Around 80 world leaders spoke during the first two days of speeches. Thursday’s speakers include leaders from China, Palestine, Greece, Congo, Denmark and Dominica. 

Here are some highlights of the leaders who spoke on Day 3:

Palestinians

Mahmoud Abbas, president of Palestinian territories and the Palestinian National Authority, called for the international recognition of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital. 

He also called for Palestine to be admitted into the United Nations, like Israel. 

“There are two states that the entire world is talking about: Israel and Palestine,” Abbas said. “But only Israel is recognized. Why not Palestine?”

“What is the danger posed by the state of Palestine obtaining full membership of the United Nations?” he added. 

Abbas said the effects of the Nakba, known as the “catastrophe” in Arabic that refers to the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, are still felt today. 

Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories for their hoped-for independent state. Some have accused Israel of enforcing an “apartheid” policy of Palestinian territories through a blockade of the Gaza Strip and security checkpoints. 

Abbas said the Israeli occupation of lands Palestinians want for their future state “challenges more than a thousand resolutions, violates the principles of international law and international legitimacy, while racing to change the historical, geographical and demographic reality on the ground.”

The Israeli delegation walked out of the hall early in his address, when he spoke about Israel’s practice of holding the remains of alleged Palestinian attackers.

Danny Danon, Israel’s permanent representative to the U.N., said Abbas claims to want peace but supports and pays “for the terror of innocent Israeli citizens.”

“While he claims to stand for justice he appropriates Israel’s history, its legacy in the land, and even its capital Jerusalem. While he claims his side is the side of truth he reverts to lies and warmongering rhetoric,” he said in a statement in response to Abbas’ speech. “And while the region is engaged in moving towards true peace and collaboration, he continues his annual deceitful tirade against Israel. 

“The Palestinians deserve better and deserve more. False and fabricated speeches at the UN no longer make the cut. Nor should they,” Danon added. “It’s time he takes responsibility and provides his people with a brighter future instead of perpetuating his disinformation campaign and endless empty slogans.”

On Wednesday, Palestinian officials said Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank and unrest in the Gaza Strip killed six Palestinians. The deadly violence between Israel and the Palestinians over the last year and a half has surged to levels unseen in the West Bank in some two decades. Israel has stepped up its raids on Palestinian areas and Palestinian attacks on Israelis have been mounting.

“The Israeli racist, right-wing government continues its attacks on our people through its army and its racist, terrorist settlers to continue to intimidate and kill out people to destroy homes and property,” Abbas said. 

Abbas is deeply unpopular among Palestinians, many of whom view his Palestinian Authority as a corrupt pillar of the status quo.

 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.