The European Union on Saturday urged the United States to "reconsider" its decision to deny visas to Palestinian officials planning to attend next month’s United Nations General Assembly in New York.
"We strongly call for this decision to be reconsidered, in light of international law," said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in Copenhagen, following a meeting of the 27 EU foreign ministers.
Washington announced Friday it would "revoke and deny" visas for members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA), ahead of the General Assembly where France will push for recognition of a Palestinian state.
The U.S. State Department later confirmed that around 80 Palestinians, including PA president Mahmoud Abbas, were affected. "Before being taken seriously as partners for peace, the PA and PLO must renounce terrorism, legal warfare at the ICC and ICJ, and unilateral statehood recognition," said deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott. However, the Palestinian mission to the UN in New York, led by Ambassador Riyad Mansour, would be granted exemptions.
The PA expressed "deep regret and astonishment" at the move, calling it "in contradiction with international law" and urging Washington to reverse course.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot denounced the decision, stressing that the UN headquarters must remain "a place of neutrality (...) a sanctuary in the service of peace." Luxembourg’s Xavier Bettel suggested holding a special UNGA session in Geneva to guarantee Palestinian participation.
The visa ban further aligns the Trump administration with Israel’s government, which rejects a Palestinian state and equates the PA with Hamas.
The decision comes against the backdrop of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians. Israel’s retaliatory campaign in Gaza has since left at least 63,025 dead, according to Hamas-run health authorities, figures deemed reliable by the UN.
EU unity on condemning Washington’s move contrasted with its divisions over sanctioning Israel amid Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe, where famine was declared by the UN in August.
AFP
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