In an address to the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday morning, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas called the holiest Jewish site—the Temple Mount in Jerusalem—the “exclusive property of Muslims” and referred to Israel as a “terrorist state” that does not deserve membership in the United Nations.
Abbas, whose presidential mandate expired in 2009–the last time P.A. elections were held–told those watching that “the world is responsible” for what he asserted were crimes against humanity taking place in the Gaza Strip amid Israel’s defensive war against Hamas.
He claimed that Israel “took advantage of what happened” on Oct. 7, when Hamas launched a massive assault in southern Israel—murdering, raping and torturing 1,200 people and taking some 250 others hostage—to “launch a genocide” in the Gaza Strip. Abbas also said Israel has just launched a second “war of genocide” in Lebanon, calling into question what kind of hostilities the Jewish state could be involved in that wouldn’t qualify as one.
He also referred to Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir as a terrorist for calling for a Third Temple to be built on the mount.
Abbas saved a heavy dose of criticism for the Biden administration. He said he “regrets” that the White House “furnished Israel with deadly weapons it used to kill thousands of innocent civilians” while utilizing its veto power in the U.N. Security Council three times to thwart efforts to force a ceasefire on Israel with no guarantee that its hostages would be released from Gaza.
“As long as the U.S. is supporting” Israel, posed Abbas, “why not keep going?”
He also took Washington to task for denying the Palestinians full membership in the United Nations. “We don’t deserve membership in the eyes of America,” he stated. “I don’t understand.”
Abbas did acknowledge protesters across America who “are marching in the streets.” Many of them have called for the end of Israel, including its inhabitants, and have expressed explicit support for terror groups; have harassed Jews verbally and physically; and have disrupted Jewish life, including on college campuses.
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