The Palestinian president’s office on Saturday urged the US government to reverse its unusual decision to revoke his visa, weeks before he was meant to appear at the UN’s main annual meeting and an international conference about creating a Palestinian state.
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The 27-nation European Union asked the Trump administration to reconsider the move, which drew broad criticism.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio rescinded the visas of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other officials ahead of next month’s annual high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, the State Department disclosed on Friday, citing national security interests.
Abbas has addressed the General Assembly for many years and generally leads the Palestinian delegation.
“We call upon the American administration to reverse its decision. This decision will only increase tension and escalation,” Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said in Ramallah on Saturday.
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“We have been in contact since yesterday with Arab and foreign countries, especially those directly concerned with this issue. This effort will continue around the clock,” he said.
He urged countries to put pressure on the Trump administration to reverse the decision, notably those nations that organised a high-level conference on September 22 about reviving efforts for a two-state solution in Israel and the Palestinian territories. It is co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia.