U.S. Visa Ban Could Block Palestinian Leader’s UN Address
U.S. visa ban on Abbas threatens his UN speech, sparking global outrage.
The office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has issued a fervent appeal to the United States to reinstate his visa and those of 80 other Palestinian officials, revoked by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of the United Nations General Assembly set to begin on September 9. The unprecedented move, announced by the U.S. State Department on Friday, bars Abbas from addressing the annual gathering of world leaders in New York, a role he has fulfilled for years, and from attending a critical high-level meeting on September 22, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, focused on advancing a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh, speaking to The Associated Press in Ramallah, condemned the visa revocation as a violation of U.S. obligations under the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement, which mandates access for diplomats to UN events. “This decision will only increase tension and escalation,” Abu Rudeineh stated, urging the Trump administration to reverse its stance. He revealed ongoing diplomatic efforts with Arab and foreign nations to address the issue, emphasizing that these efforts would continue “around the clock.”
The visa ban has drawn sharp international criticism. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, speaking in Copenhagen, protested the restrictions, asserting that the UN General Assembly “cannot suffer any restrictions on access” and describing the UN headquarters as a “sanctuary dedicated to peace.” Barrot plans to raise the issue with EU counterparts. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric echoed these concerns, stating that the UN is seeking clarification from the State Department and stressing the importance of representation for all member states and observers, including Palestine, a non-member observer state since 2012.
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The U.S. State Department justified the visa revocations, citing the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) alleged failure to “repudiate terrorism” and their pursuit of “unilateral recognition of a conjectural Palestinian state” through international courts like the ICC and ICJ. This move aligns with broader Trump administration policies, including the suspension of a program for injured Palestinian children to receive U.S. medical treatment, amid escalating Israeli military operations in Gaza City, declared a combat zone due to Hamas activity.
As global momentum grows for recognizing Palestinian statehood, with countries like France, the UK, Canada, and Australia signaling support, the visa ban threatens to disrupt diplomatic efforts and heighten tensions in the Middle East peace process.
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