US denies Abbas visa as UN weighs remote participation

The United States has denied Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas a visa to attend the UN General Assembly in New York for the second consecutive year. This decision comes as the UN prepares to vote on a measure that would allow Abbas to participate remotely, a procedure that could also extend to other senior Palestinian representatives for high-level UN events. The State Department cited the PLO and PA's failure to meet commitments under US acts, pointing to Palestinian efforts at international institutions, attempts to obtain unilateral recognition, continued payments to terrorists, and the "glorification of terrorism."

"As a consequence of their failure to reform, contrary to their commitments to the United States, and their ongoing activities that undermine the prospects for peace, the United States will extend sanctions that deny visas to PLO members and PA officials," the department stated.

Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, supported the US position, stating, "You cannot reward terrorism with one hand and demand international legitimacy with the other." The upcoming UN vote will determine if a remote-participation mechanism will be re-established, as a similar resolution from last year, which allowed Abbas to submit a prerecorded address, was session-specific and does not automatically carry over.