US blocks Palestinian leader from attending UN meeting in New York

(Palestine has been reduced to mere conjecture, according to our neocon Marco Rubio. Conjecture.) 

from the BBC

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has been blocked from attending the UN General Assembly session in New York next month, after he and 80 other Palestinian officials had their visas revoked, the US State Department has said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio blamed them for undermining peace efforts and for seeking "the unilateral recognition of a conjectural Palestinian state".

The decision, welcomed by Israel, is unusual as the US is expected to facilitate travel for officials of all countries wishing to visit the UN headquarters.

The ban comes as France leads international efforts to recognise a state of Palestine at the session - a move Donald Trump's administration has opposed...

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Ireland urges UN chief to halt Israel’s ‘destruction of an entire people’ in Gaza

from PressTV

Irish President Michael D. Higgins has urged the UN to take urgent action in Gaza, urging Secretary General Antonio Guterres to invoke powers under Chapter Seven to bypass Security Council gridlock and deliver humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.

In a video shared by RTE News, Higgins described the Israeli regime's war on the Gaza Strip as the “incredible, incredible destruction of an entire people.”

"Are we to watch children starving, women dehydrated, or trying to feed their children? So something must happen," he said.

He called on Guterres to invoke powers under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter—a mechanism that allows for enforcement action, including the use of force, without Security Council approval if deemed necessary.

“I am personally in favor of the secretary-general of the UN using Chapter Seven procedure, by which, whether or not the Security Council agrees, and even if there's a blockage, the right exists for the secretary-general to seek to put together an international defense of a corridor,” he added.

Higgins pointed to the blocked humanitarian aid, noting, “There are 6,000 trucks with enough food for three months, and it has been blocked, and it is outrageous.”...

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UN chief calls for ‘viable two-state solution’ to Israel-Palestine conflict

from al Jazeera

Dozens of ministers have gathered at a United Nations conference to urge the world to work towards a two-state solution between Israelis and the Palestinians, but the United States and Israel have boycotted the event.

The 193-member UN General Assembly decided in September last year that such a conference would be held in 2025.

Hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, the conference was postponed in June after Israel attacked Iran.

Addressing the attendees on Monday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud urged all countries to support the conference goal of a roadmap laying out the parameters to a Palestinian state while ensuring Israel’s security.

In opening remarks, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “We must ensure that it does not become another exercise in well-meaning rhetoric.

“It can and must serve as a decisive turning point – one that catalyses irreversible progress towards ending the occupation and realising our shared aspiration for a viable two-state solution.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the conference: “We must work on the ways and means to go from the end of the war in Gaza to the end of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, at a time when this war is jeopardising the stability and security of the entire region.

“Only a political, two-state solution will help respond to the legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security. There is no alternative.”

France intends to recognise a Palestinian state in September at the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, French President Emmanuel Macron said last week.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa called on all countries to “recognise the state of Palestine without delay”.

“All states have a responsibility to act now,” said Mustafa at the start of the meeting.

The meeting comes as Israel’s war on Gaza still rages after more than 21 months.

The war was triggered in October 2023 when Hamas led an attack on southern Israel, killing at least 1,139 and seizing more than 200 others as captives, according to Israeli statistics.

Since then, Israel’s military assault on Gaza has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to health authorities in the besieged territory...

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Canada will recognise Palestinian state at UN General Assembly: Carney

(So of course, Bibi Netanyahu's bitch, Donald Trump, imposed a 35% trade tariff on Canada, to be paid by American importers and consumers, to 'teach Canada a lesson' as inflation goes thru the roof in America and businesses go out of business. Brilliant.) 

from al Jazeera

Canada has joined several Western countries in announcing its intention to recognise a Palestinian state amid the continuing Israeli atrocities unfolding in Gaza.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made the announcement on Wednesday.

He explained that Ottawa had hoped that a two-state solution could be achieved through a negotiated peace process, but that approach was “no longer tenable”.

“Canada intends to recognise the State of Palestine at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025,” Carney told reporters.

The move follows a similar announcement by the United Kingdom and France earlier this month.

But it is not clear how such recognitions will impact Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza and the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank – the two territories that would form a Palestinian state.

Carney said the recognition is predicated on promises of reform from the Palestinian Authority and President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as a commitment to hold general elections in 2026.

He stressed that Hamas can play no role in the future of Palestine and would not be allowed to take part in future elections, a condition that some argue may taint any democratic process.

“Preserving a two-state solution means standing with all people who choose peace over violence or terrorism,” Carney said...

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The Arab Group on Gaza - Security Council Media Stakeout (14 February 2025) | United Nations

United Nations

 

Biden highlights 2-state solution in UNGA speech

from Daily Sabah

U.S. President Biden said a two-state solution with a Palestinian state, in which Palestinians can live peacefully, is the only way to ensure permanent peace, as Israel continues to escalate violence by attacking Lebanon.

Speaking at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Biden, who has come under fire for his administration's unconditional support to Israel, as it commits acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip, said it was time for a cease-fire in Gaza.

He said that "innocent civilians" in the blockaded Palestinian enclave were "going through hell," adding that now was the time for Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire and hostage deal.

The deal would "bring the hostages home and secure security for Israel" and ease the suffering in Gaza and end this war."

Biden urged a diplomatic solution as Israel strikes Lebanon, warning against a "full-scale war" in the country.

"Full-scale war is not in anyone's interest. Even though the situation has escalated, a diplomatic solution is still possible," Biden said...

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