The United States will not issue visas to members of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) ahead of the UN General Assembly in September, according to the US State Department.
The department said in a statement on Friday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was revoking and denying visa applications for members of the PLO and Palestinian Authority in advance of the General Assembly.
During the assembly, France is expected to advocate for international recognition of a Palestinian state.
The Palestinian Authority has urged the United States to reconsider its decision, arguing that barring its delegation from attending the UN meeting is unjust. In a statement, the office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed “deep sorrow and astonishment” over the visa refusal.
“The president emphasises that this decision is a blatant violation of international law,” the statement read, noting that Palestine is a non-Member Observer State at the UN.
The visa ban applies to officials from the PA, the governing body of the West Bank, which Washington accuses of undermining prospects for a future peace agreement with Israel.
Washington has also criticised Palestinian leaders for encouraging other nations to recognise Palestine as an independent state during the UN General Assembly.
