Key facts
- The EU regrets the US decision to extend visa denials for Palestinian Authority officials and Palestine Liberation Organization members.
- The US State Department cited the PA's failure to implement reforms, bypass direct negotiations with Israel, and pursue international recognition of Palestinian statehood as reasons for the visa sanctions.
- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will address the UN General Assembly via a prerecorded video.
- EU spokesman Anouar El Anouni urged the US to reconsider the decision, citing its obligations as the UN host state.
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over the visa denials' impact on Palestine's participation in the UN.
The European Union has urged the United States to reconsider its refusal to grant visas to Palestinian Authority (PA) officials aiming to attend the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, marking the second consecutive year Washington has blocked the delegation's travel. The EU's diplomatic service expressed regret over the ongoing ban, pointing to the US's legal responsibilities as the host nation of the United Nations. "In light of its existing headquarters agreements with the UN and its obligations as host state, we urge the United States for this decision to be reconsidered," said EU spokesman Anouar El Anouni on Saturday. The diplomatic friction follows a recent UNGA vote permitting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address the upcoming 81st session via a prerecorded statement. Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres echoed the EU's sentiments, stating he was deeply concerned about how the visa denials impact "the ability of the State of Palestine to participate fully in the work of the United Nations". The US State Department confirmed on Wednesday that it is extending visa sanctions against members of both the PA and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Washington justified the move by accusing the Palestinian leadership of failing to implement reforms and engaging in activities that "undermine the prospects for peace". Specifically, the US condemned the PA for bypassing direct negotiations with Israel to pursue international recognition of Palestinian statehood and for taking its disputes to international courts. The State Department also cited Ramallah's financial stipends to the families of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.