US blocks Abbas from attending UN meeting for second year in a row
The state department said it would extend visa sanctions against Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and officials over actions to 'internationalise the Israeli-Palestinian conflict'.
The United States has refused to grant visas to Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas for the upcoming UN General Assembly, marking the second consecutive year Abbas has been denied entry, according to a report by <source>. The Palestinian foreign ministry denounced the decision as unjustified and harmful to efforts to build trust and improve US-Palestinian relations.
The State Department attributed the visa denials to Abbas's failure to meet peace commitments with Israel and his actions that undermine peace prospects. Despite the ban, Palestinians will still be represented at the summit by UN-accredited diplomats and Abbas will appear by video. The US decision comes at a time when several key nations are expected to recognize a Palestinian state at the General Assembly, and it has drawn criticism from European governments, including Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
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- US blocks Abbas from attending UN meeting for second year in a row freemalaysiatoday.com
- US denies Palestine leader Abbas a visa to UN summit for second year running euronews.com
