The question of Palestine has taken centre stage at the United Nations, overshadowing the annual high-level week of the General Assembly where world leaders traditionally outline their global visions from the iconic green marble podium.
Even as wars rage in Ukraine and elsewhere, and the UN itself confronts crises on its 80th anniversary, the Palestinian statehood debate has seized the spotlight. A summit on Palestine is set for Monday, a day before the formal opening of the high-level session.
The momentum accelerated on Sunday when Britain and several other Western nations announced formal recognition of Palestine. France, co-convening Monday’s summit with Saudi Arabia, is expected to follow suit, joining 152 of the UN’s 193 member states — including India — that already recognise Palestinian statehood.
US Denies Visa to Palestine President
Yet, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will not attend in person. The US denied him a visa, forcing the Assembly to vote on allowing him to speak remotely. In a striking show of support, 145 countries backed the move, with only the US, Israel and three others opposed, and six abstentions.
The strong endorsement reflects the growing tide of sympathy for Palestinians amid Israel’s offensive in Gaza, where nearly 75,000 people — most of them civilians — are reported killed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has further inflamed tensions by vowing to expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Still, the surge of recognition will remain largely symbolic. The US is expected to veto any Security Council bid for full UN membership, while Netanyahu appears unmoved by international censure.
Beneath the headlines, the UN faces its own existential questions. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had hoped the 80th anniversary would spotlight his UN80 reform agenda, “Shifting Paradigms: United to Deliver”, which seeks to streamline the body’s work around peace and security, sustainable development and human rights. The official theme of this year’s high-level week, “Better Together: 80 Years and More for Peace, Development and Human Rights,” reflects that ambition.
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But enthusiasm is tempered. The UN confronts a severe financial crunch, worsened by US President Donald Trump’s threat to cut Washington’s contributions, and global confidence in the institution has waned, a recent poll found only 58% of people worldwide still trust it.
Modi Skips This Year’s Gathering
Adding to the uncertainty, key global leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, are skipping this year’s gathering.
By tradition, Brazil will open the debate, with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva barely making it to New York after US visa complications hit members of his delegation. Trump will follow, also by tradition, and his speech is expected to set the tone, given his confrontational trade policies and geopolitical brinkmanship.
Meanwhile, real diplomacy will unfold on the sidelines, in bilateral and multilateral meetings aimed at navigating the increasingly unpredictable Trump era.
Representing India, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar began his diplomatic outreach on Sunday with a meeting with Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro. She later posted on X that the discussion “reaffirms our 2 countries’ commitment as Strategic Partners to actively develop cooperation in political, defence and security, the maritime domain, etc.”
As the General Assembly opens, the world’s attention may officially be on the UN’s 80th anniversary, but it is Palestine’s long-contested statehood that is commanding the spotlight.