EU urges US to reconsider visa denial for Palestinian delegation

The European Union has expressed disappointment over the United States' decision to deny visas to Palestinian officials for a second consecutive year, preventing them from attending the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York. EU spokesperson Anouar El Anouni stated that the EU regrets the denial of entry visas for the second year running, urging the US to reconsider its stance.

This follows a similar decision made by the US last year, which forced Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address the UN General Assembly virtually. The US has previously objected to the Palestinian Authority's system of payments to families of imprisoned or slain Palestinians, as well as the PA's involvement in internationalizing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through organizations like the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice.

The US administration also accused the PA of continuing to pay stipends to terrorists and glorifying acts of terrorism in public pronouncements and school textbooks.