US threatens to revoke Palestinian UN ambassador's visa, report says

US threatens to revoke Palestinian UN ambassador's visa, report says Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 05/21/2026 - 06:49 Washington pressures Riyad Mansour to drop his bid for vice-president of the UN General Assembly, US cable reveals Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour speaks during a UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East at UN headquarters in New York on 18 February 2026 (Charly Triballeu/AFP) Off The  US is threatening to revoke the visas of the Palestinian delegation to the United Nations unless the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, withdraws his candidacy for vice-president of the UN General Assembly , NPR reported on Thursday. A US State Department cable obtained by the publication instructed US diplomats in Jerusalem on Tuesday to pressure Palestinian officials to withdraw their bid ahead of the elections scheduled on 2 June for one of the assembly’s 21 vice-president posts. The cable accused Riyad Mansour of having a history of "accusing Israel of genocide" and claimed that his candidacy "fuels tension" and undermines US President Donald Trump's plans for Gaza . "A bully pulpit for Mansour would not improve the lives of Palestinians and would significantly damage U.S. relations with the PA [Palestinian Authority]. Congress will take it extremely seriously," the cable said. In February, Mansour withdrew his candidacy for the presidency of the UN General Assembly after US lobbying, according to the US cable. The US last year  refused visas to PA President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other senior Palestinian officials for the UN General Assembly in New York. The decision came after several Western countries announced plans to recognise a Pa...

Original source: Middle East Eye