The United States has again denied entry visas to Palestinian officials seeking to attend next week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The US State Department announced the decision on Wednesday, saying the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization had failed to fulfil commitments made to Washington.
In a statement, the department accused the two organisations 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 State Department said the restrictions would remain in place because of what it described as continued actions that could undermine efforts towards peace.
“As a consequence of their failure to reform, contrary to their commitments to the United States, and their ongoing activities that undermine the prospects for peace, the United States will extend sanctions that deny visas to PLO members and PA officials,” the department said.
The decision represents the second consecutive year that the Trump administration has prevented the Palestinian delegation from travelling to New York to participate in the UN General Assembly in person.
The Palestinian Authority rejected the allegations in a statement issued by its foreign ministry on Thursday.
The ministry described the visa restrictions as an “unjustified measure” and argued that the decision undermined efforts to improve relations between the Palestinian leadership and Washington.
The statement said the move “contradicts the efforts being made to restore trust, develop Palestinian-US relations, and prepare the necessary political climate for implementing the two-state solution and achieving peace and stability in the region”.
Among the Palestinian officials reportedly affected by the decision is Mahmoud Abbas, the longtime president of the Palestinian Authority.
The UN General Assembly is expected to vote on a draft resolution on Thursday that would allow Abbas to address the gathering remotely, according to two officials familiar with the planned vote, as reported by the New York Times.
Abbas also addressed the General Assembly by video conference last year after Palestinian officials were unable to attend the meeting in person.
