U.S. criticized for denying Mahmoud Abbas visa to attend UN as Palestinian statehood set for discussion

The U.S. says it won’t allow Mahmoud Abbas entry to the country, where he was set to attend a gathering of world leaders at the United Nations in New York City, prompting a spokesperson for the Palestinian president to call for the decision to be reversed.

Representatives for Canada and several other countries have said they’re prepared to recognize Palestinian statehood when they attend the UN General Assembly, which is set to open Sept. 9, ahead of the second anniversary of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war with Israel in Gaza.

A U.S. State Department official said Abbas and about 80 other Palestinians would be affected by the decision to deny and revoke visas from members of the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA), an administrative body that governs Palestinian territories and deals with such areas as security, health and education.

The Palestinians have observer status at the UN, the same as the Holy See (Vatican).

Late last month, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada would join the U.K., France and other allies in recognizing a Palestinian state at the next UN assembly. That represents a shift in Canadian foreign policy, which for decades has supported a two-state solution.

Abbas’s office said it was astonished by the U.S.’s visa decision and that it violates the UN Headquarters Agreement.

Under the 1947 agreement, the U.S. is generally required to allow access for foreign diplomats to the UN. However, Washington has said it can deny visas for security, extremism and foreign policy reasons.