US May Deny Visas to Abbas for UN General Assembly

The US will not allow the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and about 80 other Palestinians to travel to New York in September to participate in the UN General Assembly. A State Department official told Reuters that their visas would be denied or canceled.

Abbas is supposed to travel to New York to also participate in a summit hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, where Britain, France, Australia, and Canada are preparing to officially recognize a Palestinian state. Abbas's office said it was surprised by this decision, insisting that it violates the UN agreement.