Washington blocks Palestinian leaders from attending UN General Assembly

The US wants to block efforts by its European allies to recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming UNGA meeting 

In an unprecedented move, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on 29 August revoked visas for Palestinian Authority (PA) leaders scheduled to attend the UN General Assembly in New York in September.

The State Department justified the move by citing PA payments to the families of Palestinian martyrs, President Mahmoud Abbas' plan to use a "constitutional declaration" to declare an independent Palestinian state at the General Assembly meeting, and Palestinian efforts to hold Israel accountable for war crimes in international courts.

"The Palestinian Authority must also cease its attempts to circumvent the negotiations through international legal campaigns, including appeals to the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, and efforts to secure unilateral recognition of a possible Palestinian state," the State Department said in a statement.

"Both steps have contributed significantly to Hamas's refusal to release its hostages and the collapse of the Gaza ceasefire talks," the statement claimed.

In response, the Palestinian Presidency issued a statement expressing "deep regret and astonishment at the decision."

Israel is facing charges of violating the Genocide Convention in Gaza at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused of the war crime of using starvation as a weapon in Gaza at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Fox News reported that "Rubio's decision marks a historic departure from the US practice of accommodating UN participation."

Though not a member of the UN, the State of Palestine has enjoyed non-member observer status since 2012, allowing Palestinian representatives to participate in debates but not vote.

The US has, for decades, assisted Israel in blocking Palestinian efforts to end the illegal occupation of the West Bank and siege of Gaza. Washington has also opposed Palestinians' efforts to win their freedom, whether through peaceful means or through armed struggle.

The State Department's decision was issued one day after Rubio met with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar in Washington. When asked by reporters what the plan was for a Palestinian state, Saar said that "there would not be one," The Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday.