Netanyahu to address UN despite ICC warrant as Abbas denied US visa

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Gaza, is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly in New York this week, while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas remains barred from entering the United States to attend the same session. The contrasting treatment has drawn sharp criticism from diplomats and human rights organizations.

US visa denial violates UN agreement

The US administration denied Abbas and his delegation visas for the second straight year, preventing the Palestinian leader from addressing the assembly in person despite obligations under the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement that requires host countries to allow entry for representatives of member and observer states. Abbas is expected to deliver his address via video conference instead, according to diplomatic sources.

Washington previously employed similar tactics during the era of Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat, using its status as the UN host country to impose restrictions on visas and transit permits. In 1988, the US denied a visa to Arafat when he sought to address the General Assembly.

ICC warrant and New York landing

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on November 21, 2024, accusing them of using starvation as a method of warfare and deliberately targeting civilians in the Gaza Strip. The warrants constitute binding legal obligations for the more than 120 countries party to the Rome Statute, though the United States has never ratified the treaty.

Netanyahu's aircraft is reportedly set to land at Newark Airport in New Jersey rather than at a New York airport for the General Assembly session. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said regarding potential enforcement: "Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that's what we will do, but we won't be writing our own laws to that end." He added: "I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague. He's a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court."

Diplomatic boycott and Western double standards

Dozens of diplomats walked out of the General Assembly hall during Netanyahu's address last year, leaving large sections of the chamber empty, while protesters gathered in Times Square to demonstrate against Israel's military operations in Gaza. Similar walkouts and mass demonstrations are expected across New York during this year's summit, according to organizers.

Western governments have faced criticism for refusing to recognize the ICC warrants against Netanyahu despite previously utilizing intelligence sharing and diplomatic pressure to enforce the court's warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine war. Civil society organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly called for Netanyahu's arrest.

Meanwhile, Türkiye has taken concrete steps toward securing an Interpol Red Notice for Netanyahu, which would expose him to potential arrest across 196 member countries. The move comes as Netanyahu has transited through the airspace of Rome Statute parties France, Italy and Greece without incident, and received guarantees from Hungary that he would not be detained during an April visit.