United States revoke visas by Palestinian President and other officials ahead of the UN General Assembly

Washington (AP) -The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, revoked the visas of the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other officials before the annual high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly, where the Palestinians have previously been represented.

A state department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss visa issues that are normally confidential, revealed on Friday that Abbas and other officials of the Palestinian authority were among those affected.

The measure is the last of a series of steps that the Trump administration has taken to attack the Palestinians with visa restrictions and arrives when the Israeli army declared that the largest city in Gaza is a combat area. The State Department also suspended a program that had allowed conservatives to the injured Palestinian children of Gaza to the US. UU. After a protest of social networks by some conservatives.

The department said previously that Rubio also ordered some new visa requests from Palestinian officials, including those linked to the Palestine Liberation Organization.

“It is in our national security interests responsible for the PLO and AP for not fulfilling its commitments and to undermine the perspectives of peace,” the statement said.

Via News

He said that to be considered partners for peace, groups “must constantly repudiate terrorism and put an end to incitement to terrorism in education, as required by US law and as promised by the OLP.”

The State Department did not specify how many visas they had revoked or how many requests had been denied or gave details beyond their statement.

The Palestinian authority denounced visa withdrawals as a violation of US commitments such as the United Nations host country and urged the State Department to reverse its decision.

He said in a statement that the Palestinian presidency “expressed his deep repentance and amazement” in the decision of the visa, that “contravene international law and the agreement of the headquarters, especially because the state of Palestine is an observer member of the United Nations.”

The UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the world body would seek clarifications from the State Department.

“Obviously we hope this is resolved,” he said. “It is important that all Member States, permanent observers can be represented.”

Via News

The State Department said that the representatives assigned to the mission of the Palestinian authority in the United Nations would be granted exemptions under the agreement of the United States host country with the UN so that they can continue with their operations based in New York.

The Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, told journalists on Friday that Abbas planned to take the delegation to UN meetings and was expected to be addressed to the General Assembly, as he has done for many years.

It was also expected to attend a high -level meeting co -chaired by France and Saudi Arabia on September 22 on a solution of two states, which requires Israel to live side by side with an independent Palestine.

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News Edith M. Lederer’s writer of the United Nations contributed to this report.