U.S. visa restrictions on Palestinian officials at the UN

The United States maintained visa restrictions preventing Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and approximately 80 other officials associated with the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization from attending United Nations meetings in New York. Washington cited alleged support for terrorism, insufficient political reform and Palestinian efforts to pursue Israel through international courts. The UN General Assembly voted by 152 votes to three, with four abstentions, to permit Abbas and other senior Palestinian officials to participate remotely when the restrictions prevent them from travelling. The dispute raises questions about Palestinian access to international institutions and the United States' obligations as host of the UN headquarters.