The Trump administration has again denied visas to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and other senior Palestinian officials ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, blocking the high-level Palestinian delegation from attending in person for the second consecutive year, according to the . The State Department said Wednesday that the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization had failed to live up to commitments made to the United States, citing actions it said undermined the prospects for peace, including legal action against Israel at international courts and efforts to seek unilateral recognition. In a statement, the department also cited what it described as continued payments to the families of prisoners convicted of attacks against Israelis and the “glorification” of terrorism and terrorists in public statements and school textbooks.
The department said the measures were being imposed under the Middle East Peace Commitments Act of 2002, adding: “It is in our national interest to impose consequences and hold the PLO and PA accountable for glorifying terrorism.” The State Department's announcement did not identify Abbas by name or provide individual visa decisions. Newsweek reached out to the Palestinian Authority by email for comment. The announcement comes less than a week before world leaders gather in New York for the U.N.
General Assembly's high-level general debate, which begins September 22. The State Department said it would maintain a “standing waiver” for personnel notified to the PLO Observer Mission to the United Nations, as it has in previous determinations. Despite the visa denials, Palestinians will still be represented at the gathering by diplomats already accredited to the United Nations.
Abbas appeared by video at last year's General Assembly after being denied a U.S. visa, following a General Assembly decision allowing Palestine to participate remotely. The General Assembly is expected to vote on a similar measure allowing Abbas to participate remotely again this year, according to The Jerusalem Post. The State Department has taken similar action against foreign officials around UNGA.
Last year, Colombian President Gustavo Petro spoke to a crowd outside U.N. headquarters in New York, where he called for an armed force to “free Palestine” and urged U.S. soldiers to disobey President Donald Trump's orders. The State Department subsequently revoked Petro's visa over the remarks. The UN General Assembly is scheduled to take place September 22 to 28 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
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