By Maxwell Mapungwana
HARARE — The Palestinian Embassy in Zimbabwe has condemned the United States Government’s decision to deny entry visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and members of his official delegation ahead of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
In a statement, Palestinian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Dr Tamer Al-Massri said the decision was an attempt to prevent Palestinian representatives from presenting their position before the international community.
Ambassador Al-Massri, regretted the hostile decision by the United States saying the decision was particularly concerning as it came amid the ongoing genocide, ethnic cleansing and systematic war crimes by Israel against Palestinians.
“For the second consecutive year, the United States has barred the legitimate representatives of the Palestinian people from appearing before the very body established to give every nation a voice,” Dr Al-Massri said.
He argued that, as host country to the United Nations, the United States had obligations under the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement to facilitate access by accredited representatives and heads of delegations to UN premises.
“Refusing visas to Palestine’s leadership is a breach of that Agreement and in defiance of the spirit and letter of the UN Charter, which affirms the sovereign equality of all member and observer states and guarantees a platform for every people to address the community of nations,” he said.
Dr Al-Massri further accused the United States of creating an imbalance by restricting Palestinian representatives while allowing Israel to maintain a prominent international platform.
“While the voices of those enduring documented atrocities are forcibly suppressed, the perpetrators of these crimes are provided a prominent global platform to distort reality, evade accountability and perpetuate aggression with impunity,” he said.
He called on UN member states, Secretary-General António Guterres and the international community to oppose the pattern of excluding Palestinian representatives from multilateral forums saying it sets a dangerous precedent for the future of multilateral diplomacy itself.
He maintained that the visa decision would not prevent Palestine from making its position heard during the General Assembly.
“The Palestinian people will not be silenced. Palestine will be represented at this General Assembly, whatever obstacles are placed in its path, and the world will continue to hear its voice,” he said.
