
The office of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday called on the US government to reverse its decision to cancel his visa, weeks before he is due to attend the main annual UN meeting and an international conference on the creation of a Palestinian state.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has cancelled the visas of Abbas and 80 other officials ahead of a high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly next month, the State Department announced on Friday.
Abbas has spoken at the General Assembly for many years and usually heads the Palestinian delegation.
"We call on the US administration to reverse its decision. This decision will only increase tensions and escalation," Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh told The Associated Press in Ramallah on Saturday.
"Since yesterday, we have been in contact with Arab countries and foreign countries, especially those directly involved in this issue. This effort will continue without interruption," he added.
He called on other countries to put pressure on the Trump administration to reverse the decision, especially those that will host a high-level conference on September 22 to revive efforts towards a two-state solution in the Middle East.
The conference is co-organized by France and Saudi Arabia.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot protested against restrictions on entry to the UN General Assembly and said he would discuss the issue with EU counterparts.
"The United Nations headquarters is a place of neutrality, a haven dedicated to peace, where conflicts are resolved," he said on Saturday.
Abu Rudeineh also called for an end to Israel's offensive in Gaza and "the escalation in the West Bank, because none of this will lead to any solution."
The Israeli military has declared Gaza's largest city a war zone. Israel says Gaza City remains a Hamas stronghold. The Trump administration has taken several steps to target Palestinians with visa restrictions.
“It is in our national security interest to hold the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) and the PA (Palestinian Authority) accountable for failing to honor their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace,” the State Department said in a statement. The
Palestinian Authority condemned the visa revocation as a violation of U.S. commitments as host country of the United Nations. /REL/