Palestinian President’s office urges US to reinstate his visa ahead of key UN meetings

“We call upon the American administration to reverse its decision. This decision will only increase tension and escalation,” Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh told AP in Ramallah on Saturday.

Abu Rudeineh said contacts had already been made with Arab and foreign countries “directly concerned with this issue” and that efforts would continue “around the clock.” He also urged other states, especially France and Saudi Arabia, which are co-hosting a conference on 22 September about reviving the two-state solution, to put pressure on Washington.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said restrictions on access to the UN General Assembly were unacceptable. “The United Nations headquarters is a place of neutrality, a sanctuary dedicated to peace, where conflicts are resolved. The UN General Assembly … cannot suffer any restrictions on access,” he told reporters on Saturday.

Abu Rudeineh also called for an end to Israel’s military action in Gaza and to the escalation in the West Bank, saying “none of this will lead to any solution.”

The State Department said the visa restrictions were part of US security policy. “It is in our national security interests to hold the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organisation) and PA (Palestinian Authority) accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace,” the department said in a statement.

The Palestinian Authority said the move breached US commitments as the UN’s host country. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the organisation would seek clarification from Washington, according to AP.

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