For the second year running, the US has barred Palestinian officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas, from travelling to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the State Department announced.
Key facts
- The US State Department said on Wednesday it had again denied entry visas to Palestinian officials.
- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is among those barred for the second year in a row.
- The State Department said the Palestinian Authority and PLO had 'failed to live up to their commitments'.
- Washington accused the groups of internationalising the conflict through the ICC and ICJ and of 'glorifying terrorism'.
- The UN General Assembly gathering is due to take place next week in New York.
The United States has extended its visa ban on Palestinian officials ahead of next week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to Al Jazeera and the Guardian. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is among those barred for the second year in a row.
The US State Department said on Wednesday that it had again denied entry visas to Palestinian officials before the annual UN gathering, the Guardian reported. It marks the second consecutive year that the administration has kept the Palestinian delegation from travelling to the forum.
In a statement, the State Department said the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) had ‘failed to live up to their commitments,’ according to the Guardian.
The department accused the groups of ‘taking actions to internationalize the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict including through the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ)’ and of ‘glorifying terrorism,’ among other allegations, the Guardian reported.
The decision means senior Palestinian representatives, including Abbas, will be unable to attend the high-profile gathering in person, repeating a restriction first imposed the previous year.
The sources reviewed did not include a response from Palestinian officials or further detail on how the delegation would engage with the assembly.
Why it matters
The UN General Assembly is one of the few venues where world leaders address the international community directly, so barring Palestinian officials limits their ability to present their case in person. The repeated denial signals a continued hardline US stance on the Palestinian Authority's use of international courts.
Frequently asked questions
Who is barred from travelling to the UN General Assembly?
Palestinian officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas, have been denied entry visas by the US State Department, according to Al Jazeera and the Guardian.
Why did the US deny the visas?
The State Department said the Palestinian Authority and PLO had 'failed to live up to their commitments,' accusing them of internationalising the conflict through the ICC and ICJ and of 'glorifying terrorism,' the Guardian reported.
Is this the first time such a ban has been imposed?
No. According to the sources, this is the second year in a row that the administration has barred the Palestinian delegation from US travel for the forum.