< Back to all clusters
[INTERNATIONAL] · United States, Palestinian Territories, Israel, Paraguay, Colombia · 14 sources

started · updated

UN General Assembly votes to allow Palestinian participation via video after U.S. visa ban

The United Nations General Assembly has passed a resolution with 152 votes in favor, 3 against, and 4 abstentions, urging the United States to reverse its decision to deny visas to the Palestinian delegation. The resolution follows the U.S. State Department's decision to extend visa restrictions on Palestinian Authority officials and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

The United States justified the restrictions by citing the Palestinian leadership's failure to implement promised reforms and accusing them of attempting to “internationalize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict” through legal actions at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Washington also raised concerns regarding the financing of families of individuals involved in attacks.

In response to the travel ban, the General Assembly authorized Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address the assembly via video conference or pre-recorded message. The Palestinian delegation and various international observers have characterized the U.S. move as a violation of the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement, which obligates the host country to facilitate diplomatic access to the organization's headquarters in New York.

The three nations that voted against the resolution were the United States, Israel, and Paraguay. Four countries—Colombia, Honduras, Panama, and Peru—abstained from the vote.

Entities

Mahmoud Abbas · Palestine · Palestine Liberation Organization · Palestinian Authority · Tammy Bruce · United Nations · United Nations General Assembly · United States · United States

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Sources

about 5 hours ago