Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour is withdrawing his bid for vice president of the UN General Assembly, after the US threatened to revoke visas for the Palestinian delegation if he did not drop the bid, NPR reported.
Citing a source familiar with the matter, the report said Lebanon’s ambassador is taking Mansour’s place after the Palestinian UN delegation relayed through an Arab country that he will refrain from running for a vice presidential position for the next two years.
The spokesperson of the President of the UN General Assembly, La Neice Collins, confirmed the Palestinian delegation’s withdrawal.
An internal US State Department cable on Tuesday had instructed its diplomats in Jerusalem to pressure Palestinian officials to drop the bid, claiming that his candidacy undermines US President Donald Trump’s plans for Gaza.
“We will hold the PA responsible if the Palestinian delegation does not withdraw its VPGA candidacy,” the cable said.
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It also reminded that the US refused visas to PA President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other senior Palestinian officials for the UN General Assembly in New York last year and it “would be unfortunate to have to revisit any available options.”
The Palestinian mission at UN did not immediately respond to Middle East Eye’s request for comment.
The decision follow’s the Palestinian envoy’s withdrawal of his candidacy to preside over the UN General Assembly as a result of US and Israeli lobbying in February.
The Palestinian mission said the decision was made due to the “prevailing conditions in Palestine”.
The election of the UN General Assembly president and the 16 delegations that will serve as vice presidents will be held on 2 June.
In May 2024, the General Assembly approved an unprecedented measure expanding the Palestinian Authority’s participation rights beyond those of a traditional non-member observer state, including the ability to speak on any agenda item and propose amendments to draft resolutions.
In May 2024, the assembly voted overwhelmingly in support of Palestine’s bid for full UN membership and approved expanded participation rights for the Palestine Authority beyond those of a traditional non-member observer state, including the ability to take part in Assembly proceedings and propose amendments to draft resolutions.
