Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Denied U.S. Visa for UN Assembly

The U.S. has denied Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas an entry visa to attend the UN General Assembly, citing actions to 'internationalize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.' This marks the second consecutive year Abbas is barred from attending in person. Palestinian officials criticize the measure as detrimental to peace efforts.

The United States has once again denied Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas an entry visa to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to a Palestinian official. The U.S. State Department cites Palestine's steps towards internationalizing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as the reason, officially prolonging last year's ban.

This marks the second year in succession that Mahmoud Abbas has been obstructed from delivering an in-person address at the assembly, where the previous year saw several U.S. allies recognize Palestine as a state. The General Assembly's 193 members will vote on Thursday to permit Abbas to submit a video statement for the annual international gathering.

The Palestinian foreign ministry indicated that the visa denial could harm Palestinian-U.S. relations, obstructing political solutions necessary for peace and stability in the region. U.S.-mediated dialogs have yet to resolve conflicts, while Washington has justified visa rejections on security and foreign policy grounds.