Senior Palestinian official: Efforts underway to enable Abbas to attend UN summit in New York

A senior Palestinian official close to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas tells The Times of Israel that the PA is doing everything it can through various channels to persuade the Americans to lift visa restrictions on Abbas and other senior Palestinian officials so they can attend the high-level UN summit scheduled to open later this month. He emphasizes that Arab states, including Gulf countries, are working to assist the PA on this matter.

The official, who wishes to remain anonymous, adds that the US move is “complicating matters, and we do not want things to become more complicated.”

“We want this to proceed in accordance with international law and the agreement between the UN and the United States,” the official says, referring to Washington’s obligation under its UN host country agreement to allow leaders to travel to New York for the General Assembly.

“We are determined that the voice of the Palestinian people will be heard, and that the Palestinian president’s speech will be delivered at the UN by any means possible,” he says. He adds that a remote address by Abbas is one of the options being considered.