The Palestinian presidency has expressed deep disappointment and concern over the United States’ decision to revoke Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s visa, just weeks before he was scheduled to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
According to Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for Abbas, “This decision will only increase tension and escalation.” The Palestinian Authority has denounced the visa withdrawals as a breach of the US commitments as the host country of the United Nations.
The US State Department justified the revocation by accusing the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization of “not complying with their commitments” and “undermining the prospects for peace.”
However, Matt Duss, executive vice president at the Center for International Policy, a US-based think tank, argued that the Trump administration’s decision is “clearly violating diplomatic protocol.”
Duss further emphasized that “there are people inside the Trump administration who are working closely with the right-wing Israeli government, and their goal is to simply remove the Palestinian liberation movement from the international agenda.”
International leaders have rallied behind Abbas, urging the US to reconsider its decision. European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, stated that “in the light of the existing agreements between the UN and its host state, we all urge for this decision to be reconsidered.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot echoed this sentiment, saying, “the United Nations headquarters is a place of neutrality, a sanctuary dedicated to peace, where conflicts are resolved.
The UN General Assembly… cannot suffer any restrictions on access.” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also expressed his “firm support” for Abbas, asserting that “Palestine has the right to make its voice heard at the United Nations and in all international forums.”
The move has sparked widespread criticism, with many viewing it as a politically motivated attempt to undermine Palestinian representation on the global stage. As a host state, the US is expected to grant visas to UN member-state representatives and officials to visit the international body’s headquarters in New York City.
The Palestinian presidency has called on other countries to put pressure on the US administration to reverse its decision, particularly those co-hosting a high-level conference on reviving the two-state solution.
The conference, scheduled for September 22, is being co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia. Abbas’s absence from the UN General Assembly could have significant implications for international efforts to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Palestinian Authority has been working to garner support for Palestinian statehood, with a growing number of countries announcing plans to recognize an independent Palestinian state at the UN in September.
In light of these developments, the international community is closely watching the situation unfold. The US decision has not only strained relations with the Palestinian Authority but also raised concerns about the role of the US in facilitating peace negotiations.
As the situation continues to evolve, one thing is clear: the fate of Palestinian representation at the UN hangs precariously in the balance, with far-reaching implications for the Middle East peace process.