US to refuse visas for Palestinian officials at UN summit on statehood
Washington DC - The US said Friday it will deny visas to members of the Palestinian Authority to attend next month's UN General Assembly, where France is leading a push to recognize a Palestinian state.
The extraordinary step further aligns President Donald Trump's administration with Israel's government, which adamantly rejects a Palestinian state and has sought to lump together the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority with Hamas in Gaza.
"Secretary of State Marco Rubio is denying and revoking visas from members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) ahead of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly," the State Department said in a statement.
"The Trump administration has been clear: it is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace," it said.
Using a term favored by Trump to deride his legal troubles while out of office, the State Department accused the Palestinians of "lawfare" by turning to the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice to take up grievances with Israel.
The Palestinian Authority must end "attempts to bypass negotiations through international lawfare campaigns" and "efforts to secure the unilateral recognition of a conjectural Palestinian state," it said.
Under an agreement as host of the United Nations in New York, the US is not supposed to refuse visas for officials heading to the world body.
The State Department insisted it was complying with the agreement by allowing the Palestinian mission to the United Nations.
Cover photo: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP