Washington, DC – The US government is exerting intense pressure on the Palestinian Authority to withdraw its candidacy for the position of Vice President of the UN General Assembly. It has also warned of severe diplomatic and financial consequences should the Authority fail to comply.
US deadline and urgent protest note
A US State Department cable, obtained by the British newspaper The Guardian, revealed that the US Embassy in Jerusalem received urgent instructions to deliver a formal and strongly worded protest note to the Palestinian leadership. The note set a deadline of the 22nd of this month for withdrawing the candidacy. Furthermore, it threatened severe punitive measures.
Palestine had been nominated for the position, representing the Asia-Pacific group, one of 16 vice-presidential seats allocated for the upcoming session of the General Assembly.
Although the position ranks second only to the president, it grants its holder the authority to preside over and chair meetings on the president’s behalf when necessary.
Washington’s concerns about Palestinian influence
According to The Guardian, the Trump administration, which opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state, is striving to limit the growing Palestinian influence within the United Nations.
Washington fears a scenario in which the Palestinian mission assumes the chairmanship of high-level meetings concerning Middle East issues. This is particularly concerning during the General Assembly week scheduled for September in New York.
The United States claimed that this nomination undermines the Trump administration’s comprehensive 20-point peace plan. The plan includes provisions for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and the establishment of a peace commission.
The US cable stated: “Granting an international voice to the Palestinian mission would seriously damage bilateral relations with Washington, and Congress will take this matter very seriously.”
Visa weapon and clearing funds
To force the Palestinian Authority to back down, Washington brandished sensitive pressure tactics. These included hinting at the possibility of revoking the visas of Palestinian mission officials at the United Nations, as well as freezing any efforts to help the PA recover tax and customs revenues (clearance funds) withheld by the Israeli government. These funds constitute approximately 60% of the Palestinian budget. Israel has been withholding them almost entirely since the outbreak of the Gaza war in 2013, causing a severe financial crisis that threatens Ramallah with economic collapse.
