The US State Department is “denying and revoking visas” from members of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) – a significant step ahead of the UN General Assembly, where multiple traditional US allies are expected to recognize a Palestinian state.
According to Friday’s announcement from the State Department, the Palestinian Authority’s Mission to the UN “will receive waivers per the UN Headquarters Agreement.”
However, the restrictions could prevent the attendance of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and is likely to severely limit the Palestinian presence at the annual global summit as the war in Gaza continues and a number of key allies prepare to recognize a Palestinian state.
“Today the Trump Administration is announcing it will deny and revoke visas from members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) ahead of the upcoming UN General Assembly per U.S. law,” State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on X.
“Before we take them seriously as partners in peace, the PA and PLO must completely reject terrorism and stop counterproductively pursuing the unilateral recognition of a hypothetical state,” he said.
CNN has asked for more details about the announcement, including how many will have their visas revoked.
In July, the State Department announced sanctions that would deny visas to the US to unnamed PA and PLO officials.
The move also appears to be a further step to punish those involved in international tribunals’ probes of alleged crimes committed by Israel.
“The PA must also end its attempts to bypass negotiations through international lawfare campaigns, including appeals to the ICC and ICJ, and efforts to secure the unilateral recognition of a conjectural Palestinian state,” Friday’s statement said.
