In a surprising move last Friday, the US State Department announced it has denied visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and around 80 members of the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. This means Abbas can't travel to New York next month for the annual United Nations General Assembly gathering. 😲
Meanwhile, key US allies like Britain, France, Australia and Canada are gearing up to formally recognize Palestine as a state at the UN summit, highlighting a growing push for statehood even as Abbas is blocked from attending in person. 🌍
Abbas' office expressed astonishment, calling the decision a violation of the 1947 UN headquarters agreement, which usually guarantees diplomats access to the UN in New York. But Washington says it can refuse visas on security, extremism or foreign policy grounds.
In Copenhagen, European Union foreign ministers unanimously urged the US to reconsider, and a Ministerial Committee from the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit on Gaza echoed that call, demanding the administration reconsider and reverse its visa ban. 🤝
As of May 28, 2024, the State of Palestine is recognized by the vast majority of UN member states and holds observer status at the UN. With global momentum building for Palestinian statehood, all eyes are on whether Washington will change course before the high-stakes gathering in Manhattan. 🛂
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U.S. bars Palestinian leader Abbas from UN as allies back statehood
cgtn.com
