The United States has threatened to revoke visas for the Palestinian UN delegation unless Ambassador Riyad Manso myur withdraws from a United Nations leadership race.
The United States has threatened to revoke visas for the Palestinian delegation to the United Nations unless Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour withdraws his candidacy for vice president of the UN General Assembly.
A State Department cable obtained by NPR instructed diplomats to pressure Palestinian officials to abandon the bid or face possible consequences, including visa restrictions.
The cable accused Mansour of having “a history of accusing Israel of genocide” and warned his election could damage relations with the Palestinian Authority.
Former US diplomat Hady Amr criticised the move, saying: “Generally, it’s counterproductive because you need diplomats to work out problems between countries.”
The elections for the vice-presidential posts are scheduled for June 2 amid continuing tensions over the Gaza conflict and stalled peace negotiations.
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