US Revokes Visas for Palestinian Leaders Ahead of UN General Assembly
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK – The Trump administration has taken the unusual step of denying and revoking visas for members of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) just days before the United Nations General Assembly, further aligning itself with Israel during its war against Hamas in Gaza.
The US State Department said the move was aimed at holding the PA and PLO “accountable for undermining peace efforts,” accusing Palestinian leaders of pursuing “lawfare” by taking disputes with Israel to the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice. It also urged them to abandon efforts to gain unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar welcomed the decision, thanking Washington for “standing by Israel once again.” The Palestinian Authority, however, condemned the measure as a violation of international law and the UN Headquarters Agreement, demanding that it be reversed.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, 89, had been planning to attend the UN session, according to envoy Riyad Mansour. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said it was important for all states and observers, including Palestine, to be represented at the summit and expressed hope the issue would be resolved.
The visa restrictions come as more countries, including France, Canada, Australia, and Britain, move toward recognizing a Palestinian state. French President Emmanuel Macron has argued that Israel’s prolonged offensive in Gaza leaves no room for delay in reviving the peace process.
The US decision also raises legal questions. As host of the UN headquarters in New York, Washington is generally obligated to grant visas to foreign officials. Past exceptions have sparked major diplomatic disputes, such as in 1988 when the UN relocated a session to Geneva after the US barred PLO leader Yasser Arafat.
President Trump is scheduled to attend the upcoming General Assembly, where he will deliver one of the opening addresses. His administration has cut ties with several UN bodies, including the World Health Organization and the UN climate pact, and previously sanctioned International Criminal Court judges over arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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