File : President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine addresses the 71st United Nations General Assembly in Manhattan, New York, U.S. September 22, 2016. Just like in 1988 , the US is denying visas to Palestinian leaders to address the UIN General Assembly REUTERS/Mike Segar.
The EU pressed Washington on Saturday to reconsider its decision to bar Palestinian officials, including Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, from next month's UN General Assembly, citing international law and agreements obliging the US to grant access to UN delegations.
The EU wants the United States to reconsider its decision to deny visas to Palestinian officials seeking to attend next month's UN General Assembly, the bloc's top diplomat said Saturday.
"In the light of the existing agreements between the UN and its host state, we all urge for this decision to be reconsidered," Kaja Kallas said on Saturday following a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Copenhagen.
Kallas invoked "international law" in calling for Washington to reverse the extraordinary step, which further aligns US President Donald Trump's administration with Israel's government as it wages war in Gaza.
Under an agreement as host of the United Nations in New York, the United States is not supposed to refuse visas for officials heading to the world body.
The US move comes as France is leading a push to recognise a Palestinian state at the gathering of world leaders in New York. France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot spoke out in protest ahead of the Denmark talks.
"A UN General Assembly meeting ... should not be subject to any restrictions on access," Barrot told reporters.
A string of ministers in Copenhagen echoed France's call for the United States to allow access to the Palestinian delegation.
The Palestinian Authority has likewise called for the United States to reverse its decision, which it said "stands in clear contradiction to international law and the UN Headquarters Agreement".
Palestinian Authority president Abbas, a veteran 89-year-old leader who once had cordial relations with Washington, had planned to attend the UN meeting.
The UN should leave New York
By denying Palestinian leaders entry to the UN, Washington violates its host obligations and undermines the very principles of the United Nations.
If the U.S. cannot uphold its duty as host, the world must move the General Assembly to Geneva -- or to a truly neutral ground, according to legal analysts
The United States' role as host of the UN obliges it under international agreements to grant access to all delegates, regardless of political disagreements. Yet Washington is discarding that obligation. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric stressed the obvious: it is "important" for all states and observers -- including the Palestinians -- to be represented.
A Dangerous Precedent
This is not without precedent. In 1988, when the U.S. refused to grant a visa to Yasser Arafat, the General Assembly convened in Geneva, Switzerland so that the Palestinian leader could be heard. That was a defining moment in UN history -- proving that the world body will not allow a host country to silence voices it dislikes.
The same must happen again. If the U.S. cannot uphold its legal obligations as host, the General Assembly should move this year's session to Geneva -- or permanently to another neutral country, legal experts stress