The UN General Assembly called on the United States to immediately reverse its decision to bar the Palestinian delegation from attending the proceedings of its 81st session in person. The resolution was backed by 152 countries, while the United States, Israel and Paraguay voted against it, and Colombia, Honduras, Panama and Peru abstained.
Palestinian delegation denied visas for a second year
The vote followed the administration of US President Donald Trump refusing, for the second consecutive year, to issue entry visas to a high-level Palestinian delegation taking part in the General Assembly meetings in New York. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry welcomed the resolution, saying in a statement on Thursday that it represented “a rejection of the US administration’s decision as a clear violation of the host country agreement.”
Abbas also addressed the General Assembly by video last year after being barred from traveling to New York. The United Nations said at the time that allowing virtual participation did not exempt the United States from its obligations under the organization’s headquarters agreement.
Riyad Mansour calls vote a near-unanimous position
Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour said the 152 countries that backed the resolution, compared with three votes against it, reflected “a near-unanimous position” by the General Assembly and the international community in support of the Palestinian cause.
Mansour described barring the delegation, headed by Abbas, from participating in UN proceedings and its high-level week as “a clear violation of the host country’s obligations under the UN headquarters agreement.” He noted that the agreement is part of US national law and was ratified by Congress, stressing that visas for the delegation of the State of Palestine should not be denied.
The Palestinian envoy reiterated his call for an end to Israeli control and for the international consensus on a two-state solution to be implemented through the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living alongside Israel in security and peace.
Washington extends visa restrictions and presents its rationale
The United States decided on Wednesday to extend measures barring visas for members of the Palestine Liberation Organization and officials of the Palestinian Authority, saying the decision was due to both sides’ failure to meet their obligations to Washington.
The US State Department attributed the measures to Palestinian actions before international organizations, resorting to the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, and seeking recognition of a Palestinian state outside the negotiating process, in addition to what it described as the continued payment of stipends to people Washington classifies as “terrorists.”
The headquarters agreement, concluded by the United Nations in 1947, generally requires the United States to allow foreign diplomats to enter the organization’s headquarters in New York. Washington, however, says it may refuse to issue visas for security reasons or reasons related to extremism or foreign policy.
