New York:  The United States has barred Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas from attending the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York, citing security concerns and the Palestinian leadership's failure to renounce extremism. In addition, the U.S. has revoked visas for around 80 other Palestinian officials affiliated with the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority.

Abbas had planned to attend the high-level UN gathering and a summit hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, where several Western nations, including the United Kingdom, France, Australia, and Canada, are expected to formally recognize Palestine as a state. The U.S. State Department justified its decision by citing longstanding concerns that the Palestinian Authority and the PLO have failed to repudiate extremism while pushing for unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.

Abbas’ office expressed astonishment over the U.S. visa decision, arguing that it violates the 1947 UN headquarters agreement, which generally requires the United States to allow access for foreign diplomats to the UN in New York. Washington, however, maintains that it can deny visas for reasons of security, extremism, and foreign policy.

This development comes amid heightened international attention on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with multiple countries pledging to recognize Palestinian statehood. The U.S. decision has added a new layer of complexity to the diplomatic efforts surrounding the issue.