The U.S. State Department on Friday denied an allegation that it had forbidden a visiting Palestinian official from speaking to reporters in Washington. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has confirmed that the U.S. government had imposed visa “restrictions on his Excellency, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki, that do not allow him to respond to media questions.” Prince Faisal said he believed the ban was a “historical” practice with the Palestinian official in the U.S., and that violating it would bring legal repercussions.
Quick Read
- State Department Denial: The U.S. State Department denied allegations that it restricted a Palestinian official, Riad Malki, from speaking to the media during a visit to Washington.
- Palestinian Foreign Minister’s Visit: Riad Malki, the Palestinian Foreign Minister, was in Washington with Arab and Turkish diplomats to urge the Biden administration to support an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
- Saudi Foreign Minister’s Statement: At a press conference, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan claimed that Malki faced U.S. visa restrictions preventing him from responding to media questions.
- Dispute Over Restrictions: Prince Faisal suggested that this ban was a long-standing practice and that violating it could have legal consequences.
- State Department’s Clarification: The U.S. State Department refuted these claims, stating, “We have imposed no restrictions that prohibit individuals from speaking to the press.”
The Associated Press has the story:
Despite Saudi’s confirmation, US denies it forbade Palestinian official from talking to Press
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP)
The U.S. State Department on Friday denied an allegation that it had forbidden a visiting Palestinian official from speaking to reporters in Washington.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki had joined his Arab and Turkish counterparts Friday in traveling to Washington on a rare joint mission to Washington. The foreign ministers said they wanted to push the Biden administration to drop its objections to an immediate cease-fire between Israel and the Hamas militant group.
At a press conference by the Arab and Turkish diplomats, a reporter asked Malki about a Bloomberg story that quoted Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh as saying he hoped Hamas would be a junior partner to governing Palestinian officials.
But Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan quickly intervened. The U.S. government, the Saudi diplomat said, had imposed visa “restrictions on his Excellency that do not allow him to respond to media questions.”
Prince Faisal said he believed the ban was a “historical” practice with the Palestinian official in the U.S., and that violating it would bring legal repercussions.
No such thing, the State Department said in a statement later. “We have imposed no restrictions that prohibit individuals from speaking to the press.”
