US Denies Entry to Palestinian Leader Abbas Ahead of UN Assembly

The United States has refused to grant entry visas to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and his delegation for the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York. This marks the second consecutive year Washington has blocked Abbas's entry; last year, he was granted special permission to address the assembly via video conference.

A US diplomat previously explained that the Trump administration required the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority to be held accountable for failing to uphold their commitments under the Oslo Accords and for undermining peace prospects. The State Department stated that senior Palestinian officials, including Abbas, have not met prior agreements to work towards peace with Israel.

According to the State Department, the Palestinian Authority has continued to pursue legal proceedings against Israel at the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. Additionally, the PA has maintained its practice of paying stipends to the families of individuals convicted of terrorist attacks against Israelis.

While the UN Headquarters Agreement generally obligates the US to allow foreign diplomats access to UN headquarters in New York, Washington asserts its right to deny visas on grounds of security, terrorism, extremism, and foreign policy considerations.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon commented, "Abbas cannot continue to pay terrorists, reward the families of terrorists, and promote a culture that glorifies terror, and then be surprised when doors are closed in his face. Whoever wants to be part of the international community must first behave accordingly. You cannot reward terror with one hand and demand international legitimacy with the other."