EU urges US to reconsider visa denial for Palestinian delegation

The European Union has expressed disappointment with the United States' decision to deny visas to Palestinian officials attending the upcoming UN General Assembly. Anouar El Anouni, a spokesman for the EU's diplomatic service, stated that the EU regrets this second consecutive year of the decision. The US State Department has denied entry visas to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, and other members of his delegation for the meeting in New York next week.

This follows the same action taken by the US last year, which forced Abbas to participate in the assembly via video conference. The US has maintained objections to the Palestinian Authority's financial support for families of imprisoned or slain Palestinians, as well as the PA's actions to internationalize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including through the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has also accused the Palestinian delegation of continuing to pay stipends to terrorists and promoting terrorism in public pronouncements and school textbooks. The US's stance contrasts with the position of 142 other UN member states, which recognized a Palestinian state at the UN last year.

The visa denial comes amid escalating violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank.