US blocks Palestinian President and 80 other officials from annual UN meeting in New York
The United States has blocked the President of Palestine and 80 other officials from attending the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
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Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State, has revoked the visas of President Mahmoud Abbas and other delegates from the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), ahead of the meeting in September.
Mr Abbas had been planning on travelling to the US to deliver a speech to the assembly. His office has said that the visa decision violates the UN "headquarters agreement".
As host of the UN in New York, the US is not supposed to refuse the visas of delegates heading to the meeting.
However, the State Department says that it is complying with the agreement by allowing members of the Palestinian Authority mission to attend.
A statement from the department said: "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," a statement from the US State Department said.
"Before the PLO and PA can be considered partners for peace, they must consistently repudiate terrorism — including the October 7 massacre — and end incitement to terrorism in education, as required by U.S. law and as promised by the PLO."
It goes on to say that the PA must "end its attempts to bypass negotiations through international lawfare campaigns" and efforts to secure recognition of a "conjectural Palestinian state".
The United States has said that it will be willing to re-open dialogue with Palestine should the PA/PLO meet their obligations and commit to a peaceful co-existence with Israel.
It comes ahead of the UK recognising Palestine as a state in September, if Israel does not meet certain conditions, which include a ceasefire in Gaza and a possible discussion of a two-state solution.
The Palestinian President has expressed "deep regret and astonishment at the US State Department’s decision not to grant visas to the Palestinian delegation participating in the UN General Assembly meetings next September."
He has called on the US to "reconsider and reverse its decision."