US Denies Abbas Visa for UN Assembly
US Denies Abbas Visa for UN Assembly
The News
The Trump administration has denied Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas a visa to attend next week's UN General Assembly in New York, a source familiar with the matter told France 24 on Wednesday.
The State Department separately said it would deny visas to Palestinian officials, citing what it called failures to reform and actions that undermine the prospects for peace.
Reuters reported the US is extending its visa sanctions on Palestinian Authority officials and members of the PLO.
It is the second year in a row the administration has blocked the Palestinian delegation from the assembly, according to the National Post.
Timeline
The Trump administration took the same step, denying Abbas entry and forcing the Palestinian leader, a regular at the General Assembly, to address the body by video, the National Post reported.
The Times of Israel reports the US has rejected Abbas's entry visa. A Palestinian official tells the outlet the State Department notice cites an alleged association with a terror group, without elaborating further.
Reuters reports the US is extending visa sanctions on Palestinian Authority officials and PLO members. The State Department says Palestinian officials failed to live up to their commitments under previous agreements to seek peace with Israel, per CTV News.
The UN General Assembly convenes in New York without the Palestinian delegation in the room.
Reactions
The State Department defended the denials, saying Palestinian officials had not lived up to commitments made under earlier agreements to pursue peace with Israel, CTV News reported. France 24 reported the department cited failures to reform and actions it said undermined peace prospects.
A Palestinian official told the Times of Israel that the notice rejecting Abbas's visa cited an alleged association with a terror group but gave no further explanation.
At the UN, the response has been procedural rather than rhetorical: the General Assembly is expected to vote on a measure that would let Abbas take part remotely, the Jerusalem Post reported.
What's Next
The General Assembly is expected to vote on allowing Abbas to participate remotely, according to the Jerusalem Post. If it passes, he would again address world leaders by video rather than from the podium — the same outcome as last year, the Times of Israel reported.
The extended visa sanctions, per Reuters, apply beyond Abbas to Palestinian Authority officials and PLO members, meaning the restrictions outlast the assembly itself.
More
Abbas has been a fixture at the annual gathering, and the visa question has become an annual flashpoint since the administration first blocked the delegation, the National Post noted.
The story was carried Wednesday by Reuters, France 24, CTV News, the National Post, the Jerusalem Post and the Times of Israel.
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