The U.S. Threatened to Revoke Visas for the Palestinian Delegation at the UN if Its Representative Does Not Withdraw From the Vice-Presidential Election

The United States has threatened to revoke the visas of members of the Palestinian delegation to the United Nations unless Palestinian representative Riyad Mansour withdraws from the election for vice president of the organization, Reuters reports.

According to the agency, the State Department has already sent an official letter to the Palestinian side warning of possible measures if Mansour’s candidacy remains on the ballot.

Officials in Washington believe his election could complicate Donald Trump’s plan for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Because the United Nations headquarters is located in New York, the United States holds significant influence over foreign representatives’ access to the organization through its visa regime and control over entry into the country.

The State Department previously barred UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine Francesca Albanese from entering the United States. Washington criticized her for attempting to push for investigations against the United States and Israel at the International Criminal Court.

The U.S. Threatened to Revoke Visas for the Palestinian Delegation at the UN if Its Representative Does Not Withdraw From the Vice-Presidential Election

Washington Believes Riyad Mansour’s Election Could Complicate Trump’s Plan to Settle the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict