Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon on Saturday accused the Palestinian Authority of trying to upgrade its status at the world body “through the back door” by seeking the presidency of the General Assembly.
Riyad Mansour’s bid “is a blatant attempt to upgrade the status of the Palestinian delegation at the United Nations through the back door, to turn the General Assembly into a platform for anti-Israel propaganda, and to undermine the U.N.'s objectives,” tweeted Danon.
While Mansour “pretends to represent the Palestinians,” according to Danon, Ramallah’s U.N. representative “continues to engage in self-promotion and the systematic erosion of the institution’s credibility.
“This is what politicization looks like—draining the General Assembly of substance,” the Israeli diplomat concluded.
The Palestinian representative, Riyad Mansour, has submitted his candidacy for the position of President of the UN General Assembly.
— Danny Danon 🇮🇱 דני דנון (@dannydanon) February 7, 2026
This is a blatant attempt to upgrade the status of the Palestinian delegation at the United Nations through the back door, to turn the General…
Mansour is seeking to serve as president of the U.N. General Assembly for its 2026–2027 session, which opens on Sept. 8, after being formally nominated by the 22-member Arab Group caucus in late March.
The 193-member General Assembly elects its president annually under a rotation system, with the larger Asia-Pacific Group—which represents some 55 member states, including Arabs nations—slated to fill the post.
In May 2024, the U.N. General Assembly approved an unprecedented measure to give the Palestinian Authority novel rights beyond those reserved for a non-state member, including to speak on any matter before the General Assembly and to offer amendments to resolutions.
The United States on April 18, 2024, vetoed a Security Council resolution that would have afforded the Palestinians full member state recognition, claiming that Ramallah didn’t have the required elements of statehood.
Mansour’s nomination is expected to set up a confrontation with the Trump administration, with a U.S. State Department spokesperson telling JNS last year that Washington “opposes the Palestinian Authority’s candidacy for U.N. General Assembly president.”
A non-state member has never held the assembly presidency, creating legal and political uncertainty.
The 2024 resolution did not explicitly give the P.A. the right to hold the presidency, but an interpretation by U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres stated that a P.A. representative could hold the presidency.
The Palestinian Authority is competing with at least two other candidates in the Asia-Pacific Group: Bangladesh, which declared its bid years ago and is actively campaigning, and Cyprus, which also entered the race.
The vote in the General Assembly is scheduled for June 2026.
