Palestinian ambassador to the U.N. Riyad Mansour, proper, attends the eightieth session of the United Nations Basic Meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, at UN headquarters
Angelina Katsanis/FR172095 AP
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Angelina Katsanis/FR172095 AP
TEL AVIV — Following strain from the U.S., the Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations is withdrawing his bid for a vp position on the U.N. Basic Meeting, and Lebanon’s ambassador is taking his place, the U.N. stated Thursday.
The Palestinian U.N. delegation relayed, by an Arab nation, that Ambassador Riyad Mansour would chorus from operating for a vp place for the approaching two years, an individual accustomed to the matter informed NPR on Thursday — a possible reference to the tip of President Trump’s time period.
The particular person spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of the two-year delay determination had not been introduced publicly.
The spokesperson of the President of the U.N. Basic Meeting, La Neice Collins, confirmed the Palestinian delegation’s withdrawal. The U.S. State Division didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The State Division on Tuesday issued a cable, obtained by NPR, instructing the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem to strain Palestinian officers to drop the management bid or face the potential revocation of their U.N. delegation’s U.S. visas.
The U.S. cable, marked delicate however unclassified and first revealed by the Guardian, says Mansour “has a historical past of accusing Israel of genocide,” and that his bid “fuels stress” and undermines President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza.
“A bully pulpit for Mansour wouldn’t enhance the lives of Palestinians and would considerably harm U.S. relations with the PA [Palestinian Authority]. Congress will take it extraordinarily severely,” the cable says.
For many years, the U.S. underneath each Democratic and Republican administrations has opposed Palestinian makes an attempt to achieve full membership on the U.N. and worldwide our bodies, arguing they have been unilateral strikes that undermined peace efforts with Israel.
Forward of final yr’s U.N. Basic Meeting in New York, the Trump administration made the uncommon transfer of denying U.S. visas to high Palestinian officers, together with President Abbas. However the U.S. didn’t revoke visas for the Palestinian delegation to the U.N.
