WASHINGTON: The United States has announced that it will not grant visas to Palestinian Authority representatives to participate in next month’s United Nations General Assembly session.
According to foreign news agencies, the U.S. Department of State stated that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has decided to cancel or deny visas for members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA).
The statement explained that for the Trump administration, this is a matter of national security, as the PLO and PA are being held accountable for not fulfilling their commitments and for undermining prospects for peace.
The Department of State accused Palestinian leadership of engaging in “lawfare” by resorting to the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice against Israel, and said that the Palestinian Authority should cease efforts to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi expressed appreciation on X (formerly Twitter), thanking the U.S. for its “bold move” and for standing once again with Israel, stating, “We are grateful to the Trump administration for this step.”
It is noteworthy that the French President has announced that France will recognize a Palestinian state at a special session scheduled one day before the General Assembly.
According to news agencies, it is currently unclear whether the visa restrictions will apply to all Palestinian officials or not. The U.S. decision has also put the participation of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the General Assembly at risk.
Meanwhile, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated that the participation of all states and observers, including Palestinians, in the high-level meeting before the General Assembly is important. He expressed hope that this issue will be resolved soon.
