US denies visas to Palestinian officials ahead of UN General Assembly

The restrictions mean that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas would likely not be able to travel to New York to deliver an address to the annual gathering, as he typically does. The move follows the imposition of U.S. sanctions on Palestinian Authority officials and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization in July, even as other Western powers moved toward recognition of Palestinian statehood. In its statement, the State Department said that the Palestinian Authority's mission to the UN would not be included in the restrictions.