US denies Abbas UN General Assembly visa for second year running

The United States has refused, for a second consecutive year, to grant Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas an entry visa to attend the UN General Assembly in New York.

• The United States has denied visa entry to Abbas and his delegation for the UN General Assembly, which opened its high-level week from September 8 through September 28.
• The State Department has extended visa sanctions against Palestinian Authority and PLO officials, saying both failed to meet obligations under the 1989 and 2002 compliance laws.
• Washington accused the Palestinian bodies of supporting international actions contrary to UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 and of seeking unilateral recognition rather than negotiations.
• Abbas said the two-state solution remains the optimal framework for ending the conflict and establishing a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.
• A UN special rapporteur warned that the visa denial may violate international law and the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement.
• The visa ban does not apply to Israeli officials.
• Palestinians will still participate in the UN General Assembly through their accredited diplomats.
• The UN General Assembly is expected to vote on whether Abbas can address the gathering via video link.
• The Palestinian Foreign Ministry rejected the US decision to extend visa restrictions, calling it unjustified and at odds with rebuilding Palestinian-American relations.
• The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said the visa extension contradicts efforts to implement the two-state solution and called for direct Palestinian-American dialogue.
• The ministry defended Palestinians' recourse to international institutions, saying the US had ignored Palestinian reforms.