This Obscure UN Mechanism Could Spur Concrete Action for Gaza Despite US Veto

"The Trump administration is facing growing criticism for suspending visas for Palestinian passport holders, including for Palestinian officials set to attend the annual U.N. General Assembly this month. When the U.S. denied a visa to Yasser Arafat to address the U.N. in 1988, the General Assembly was moved to Geneva - the U.N. faces similar calls now."

"The move by the U.S. is "an indication of the unprecedented degree to which the U.S. government has handed the levers of its foreign policy over to the Israeli regime," says Craig Mokhiber, an international human rights lawyer who formerly served as the director of the New York Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. He resigned in October 2023 over the U.N.'s failure to adequately address large-scale atrocities in Palestine and Israel."

The U.S. suspended visas for Palestinian passport holders, preventing Palestinian officials from attending the upcoming U.N. General Assembly in New York. Historical precedent exists: when Yasser Arafat was denied a U.S. visa in 1988, the General Assembly moved to Geneva, and calls for similar action have emerged. Critics say the visa suspension reflects unprecedented U.S. alignment with Israeli policy and undermines Palestinian diplomatic engagement. Craig Mokhiber, a former U.N. rights office director who resigned over U.N. failures to address atrocities, urges use of a "United for Peace" General Assembly resolution to bypass the Security Council and compel concrete action in Gaza. Several countries plan to recognize a Palestinian state and impose sanctions on Israel.

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