EU Urges US to Reconsider Visa Denial for Palestinian Delegation

The European Union's diplomatic service said on Saturday that it regretted Washington's decision for a second consecutive year to extend visa restrictions on officials of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). EU foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni said, according to Press TV, that the United States, as host country for the UN headquarters, has obligations under its agreements with the world body. "In light of its existing headquarters agreements with the United Nations and its obligations as host state, we urge the United States to reconsider this decision," El Anouni said.

The dispute follows the US State Department's announcement this week that it would maintain the visa restrictions. Washington said the restrictions were being kept because it considered the Palestinian side to have failed to meet commitments under US law and accused it of taking steps that undermine prospects for peace. The State Department specifically cited Palestinian efforts to pursue international recognition of statehood outside direct negotiations with Israel, as well as legal proceedings involving Israel at international courts.

The visa restrictions have also affected Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's participation in the upcoming UN General Assembly. The General Assembly voted on Thursday to allow Abbas to deliver a prerecorded address after the United States denied visas to the Palestinian delegation. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has also expressed concern over the US decision, warning about its potential impact on Palestine's ability to participate fully in the work of the United Nations.

The 81st session of the General Assembly opened on September 8, with its high-level week scheduled for September 22–29 in New York. Abbas's address is expected to focus on Palestinian statehood and efforts to revive a two-state solution, as well as the humanitarian situation in Gaza and developments in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry welcomed the General Assembly's decision allowing Abbas to address the session remotely, describing it as a move that countered efforts to prevent Palestine from participating in the annual UN gathering.

Palestine is currently a non-member observer state. An application to become a full UN member needs to be approved by the Security Council and then at least two-thirds of the UN General Assembly. After the initial bid for full UN membership was rejected in 2011, the Palestinians went to the 193-member UN General Assembly, where there are no vetoes. They succeeded by more than a two-thirds majority in having their status raised from a UN observer to a non-member observer state in November 2012. That change opened the door for the Palestinian territories to join the UN and other international organizations, including the ICC and ICJ. At least 140 countries have recognized a Palestinian state, including members of the 22-nation Arab Group at the United Nations, the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the 120-member Nonaligned Movement. However, the United States has vowed to block any attempt at full membership of the State of Palestine in the United Nations. According to Mehr News, the EU's call adds to international pressure on Washington over its visa policy ahead of the high-level UN week.