00:01For the second year in a row, the United States has denied visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud
00:07Abbas and other high-level Palestinian delegates to attend the UN General Assembly in New York.
00:13The U.S. State Department said the Palestinian Authority had failed to commit to seek peace
00:18with Israel. It cited legal action against Israel at international courts and the payment of stipends
00:24to families of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. The Palestinian Authority criticized the decision,
00:31calling it an unjustified measure that runs counter to efforts to rebuild trust,
00:35develop Palestinian-U.S. relations, and create the necessary political climate for implementing
00:41the two-state solution and achieving peace and stability. Despite the ban, Palestinian
00:47representation at next week's summit will not disappear entirely. The Palestinians will still
00:52be represented by diplomats already accredited to the United Nations, and Abbas is expected to
00:57appear by video, which he also did last year. The renewed visa denial comes at a politically
01:04sensitive moment, as a number of key members are expected to recognize a Palestinian state
01:09state at this year's General Assembly.
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