Washington Refuses to Grant Mahmoud Abbas Visa to Attend UN General Assembly Meetings

The United States has denied Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas a visa to attend next week’s meetings of the United Nations General Assembly in New York for the second consecutive year, according to a well-informed source on Wednesday.

In this context, a statement issued by the U.S. Department of State said that “the United States will extend sanctions prohibiting the issuance of visas to members of the Palestine Liberation Organization and officials of the Palestinian Authority, due to their failure to implement reforms, contrary to commitments made to the United States, and their continued activities that undermine the prospects for peace.”