Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, will not be able to attend next month’s UN General Assembly in New York after the US revoked his visa along with those of around 80 Palestinian officials, the State Department confirmed.
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, accused Abbas and his delegation of obstructing peace initiatives, saying they were pushing for “the unilateral recognition of a conjectural Palestinian state.”
The move has been hailed by Israel but is seen as unusual, as Washington is generally expected to ease the entry of officials from all nations engaging with the UN.
The decision comes at a time when France is spearheading an international push for formal recognition of a Palestinian state during the General Assembly, a move opposed by former US President Donald Trump’s administration.
Palestinian UN envoy, Riyad Mansour had earlier stated that Abbas, as head of delegation, was preparing to attend the high-level meetings in New York.
However, US officials later confirmed that the restrictions would apply to members of both the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority.
While Rubio noted that Palestinian representatives at the UN mission in New York would still be permitted to take part in discussions under the UN Headquarters Agreement, questions remain about whether the US action breaches that agreement.
The pact explicitly guarantees entry for foreign officials regardless of relations between their governments and Washington.
Reacting to the development, Abbas’ office expressed shock, insisting the visa withdrawal “stands in clear contradiction to international law and the UN Headquarters Agreement, particularly since the State of Palestine is an observer member of the United Nations.” It called on the US to reconsider the ban.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar welcomed Washington’s decision.
The dispute underscores the deep divisions within Palestinian politics, where Hamas controls Gaza while Abbas’ Fatah faction governs parts of the West Bank, itself under pressure from settlement expansion and internal opposition.
Abbas, who also leads the PLO, represents Palestinians in international forums. The organization has held observer status at the UN since 1974, granting participation rights but not voting power.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long rejected the two-state formula, arguing that recognizing Palestine would reward “Hamas’s monstrous terrorism.”
Israel’s ongoing campaign in Gaza was launched after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 assault on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage.
Since then, over 63,000 people in Gaza have died, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry.
Rubio said Friday that the PLO and PA could not be treated as “partners for peace” until they “consistently repudiate terrorism, including the October 7 massacre and end incitement to terrorism in education, as required by U.S. law and as promised by the PLO.”
He further demanded they halt efforts to take Israel to international courts outside negotiations.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric confirmed the organization would consult the State Department on the matter, stressing the importance of representation.
“It is important that all member states, permanent observers, be able to be represented, especially I think in this case with the, as we know, the upcoming two-state solution meeting that France and Saudi Arabia will host at the beginning of the GA,” he said.
France’s initiative has drawn support from the UK, Canada, and Australia, all of which have announced intentions to recognize a Palestinian state at the gathering.
Currently, 147 of the UN’s 193 members recognize Palestine. However, with no agreed borders, large swathes of the West Bank under Israeli settler control, settlements considered illegal under international law and similar calls for Gaza, many argue such recognition will have little immediate impact on the ground.
