U.S. Blocks Abbas From UN Assembly: Speak Via Zoom or Don't Speak at All
Washington denies Palestinian Authority chairman entry visa for second consecutive year, citing efforts to internationalize the conflict and support for terrorists
The United States has refused to grant Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) and members of his delegation entry visas that would allow them to participate in the UN General Assembly in New York.
According to a report on Al-Arabiya, this marks the second consecutive year that Washington has prevented Abbas from physically attending the assembly.
Reuters reported that the U.S. State Department announced it would extend sanctions on visa issuance to Palestinian Authority officials and PLO members ahead of the upcoming General Assembly.
The decision continues a policy that began last year, when PA leadership was similarly barred from traveling to New York due to American refusal.
In its statement, the U.S. State Department charged that "the Palestinian Authority and PLO are working to internationalize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," including through the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. The United States further accused the organizations of attempting to advance unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state and of "supporting terrorists."