RAMALLAH, West Bank: A veteran Palestinian negotiator said on Monday she had been denied a US travel visa for the first time, and viewed it as retaliation for her criticism of the Trump administration and Israel.
"It is official! My US visa application has been rejected. No reason given," Ashrawi said on Twitter. She posited that"this administration has decided I do not deserve to set foot in the US" The rancour between the United States and the Palestinians has deepened as Washington prepares to unveil a long-awaited plan for restarting peacemaking, possibly next month.Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said last week that the United States seems to be crafting a plan for a Palestinian surrender to Israel instead of a peace deal.
In February, Greenblatt tweeted that Ashrawi was"always welcome" to meet him at the White House. A month later, after Ashrawi condemned Israeli military strikes in Hamas-ruled Gaza, he tweeted to her:"Stop hurting Palestinians w/bad judgement".