Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas departs after addressing the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 23, 2022, at the UN headquarters. JULIA NIKHINSON / AP
A US official said Saturday, August 30 that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is among 80 officials being denied visas to attend next month’s UN General Assembly, where France is leading a push to recognize a Palestinian state.
“Abbas is affected by this action along with approximately 80 other PA officials,” a State Department official said in a statement, detailing those impacted by the extraordinary decision announced on Friday by the United States, a key ally of Israel.
Israel adamantly rejects a Palestinian state and has sought to lump together the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority with rival Hamas in Gaza.
The US and Israel have accused France and other powers of rewarding Hamas, which launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, through their recognition of a Palestinian state. Canada and Australia have also said they would recognize a Palestinian state, and Britain threatened to do so if Israel does not agree to a ceasefire in Gaza.
Under an agreement as host of the United Nations in New York, the US is not supposed to refuse visas for officials heading to the world body. Activists each year press the US to deny visas to leaders of countries that they oppose, often over grave human rights violations, but their appeals are almost always rejected.