Palestinians Urge US to Allow Abbas Delegation Entry for UN Assembly

A source familiar with the details told Walla on Thursday that Palestinians are pressuring the US administration to permit their delegation, including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, to enter the United States and participate in the upcoming UN General Assembly. This contrasts with last year when the US revoked entry visas for Abbas and dozens of other senior Palestinian officials ahead of the assembly. Abbas's office expressed shock at the decision and called on the Trump administration to reverse it. Palestinian officials in Ramallah condemned the move as a violation of a 1947 agreement obligating the US to generally allow foreign diplomats access to the UN headquarters in New York. However, Washington maintains it has the right to deny entry based on security, extremism, and foreign policy considerations. Abbas's spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh told Reuters, "We call on the US administration to cancel this decision, which violates international law, especially the 'Headquarters Agreement' between the UN and the US, prohibiting denial of access to any delegation." The issue remains a point of contention ahead of the upcoming UN session.