US denies Palestinian president visa to attend the UN General Assembly for second year

The United States has denied Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas an entry visa to attend the UN General Assembly in New York next week, a source familiar with the case said.

The State Department said on Wednesday it reported to Congress that the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO)and the Palestinian Authority (PA) had again failed to meet commitments under US laws, citing actions at international organisations, including "taking actions to internationalise the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including through the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ)."

It also cited Palestinian officials' efforts to "bypass negotiations through seeking unilateral recognition" of a Palestinian state.

The department also accused the PLO and PA of "continuing to pay stipends to terrorists and to glorify acts of terrorism and terrorists in public pronouncements and school textbooks."

"As a consequence of their failure to reform ... the United States will extend sanctions that deny visas to PLO members and PA officials," the department said in a statement.

Second bar

The measures come ahead of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, which begins next week in New York.

The announcement follows a similar US move last year, when Washington denied or revoked visas for PLO and PA officials ahead of the 2025 General Assembly, despite calls from US allies to reconsider.

The PA Mission to the UN received waivers under the UN Headquarters Agreement, and President Mahmoud Abbas' office later urged the US to reverse the move.

Abbas could not attend last year's General Assembly in person and addressed the gathering virtually.

Reports on Wednesday said the US had again denied Abbas' visa application for this year's UNGA, along with those of other PA officials.

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Source: TRT