Sources said the US administration had denied Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his delegation visas to enter New York and attend the UN General Assembly meetings in person, in a move repeated for the second consecutive year. The denial comes during the General Assembly’s 81st session, which began on 8 September, while the general debate continues through 28 September, according to the UN’s official schedule.
Abbas speaks of shift in international position
During his current visit to Egypt, Abbas told Egyptian journalists that the international position on the Palestinian issue was shifting, pointing to the rising number of countries that have recognised the State of Palestine and what he described as growing sympathy and support for Palestinian rights among the US public.
Abbas said a two-state solution based on international legitimacy provides a framework for ending the conflict and establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, stressing the need for continued political and diplomatic efforts to achieve this.
Washington repeats 2025 visa decision
Abbas took part that year via a video link from his office in Ramallah, after the United Nations allowed him to deliver his address remotely.
Washington had previously denied the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat a visa in 1988 to attend UN meetings. That year, the General Assembly held its meetings in Geneva, where Arafat delivered his address.
