The United States has denied Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his accompanying delegation entry visas for the second consecutive year, preventing them from attending in person next week’s UN General Assembly meetings in New York.
US State Department justifies extending visa restrictions
The US State Department said it would extend restrictions barring visas for members of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority officials. It attributed the decision to what it described as the failure to implement pledged reforms and the continuation of activities it said undermine prospects for peace. Several media sources confirmed that the restrictions include Abbas.
The US State Department said it had notified Congress that, in its assessment, the organization and the Authority had again failed to meet their obligations under the 1989 PLO Commitments Act and the 2002 Middle East Peace Commitments Act. The department said Palestinian moves within international organizations conflict with previous commitments linked to UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.
US criticism of Palestinian international moves
It also criticized recourse to the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, as well as efforts to secure international recognition of a Palestinian state outside the negotiations process. The US State Department accused the Authority and the organization of continuing to pay stipends to people Washington describes as terrorists, and of endorsing acts and their perpetrators in public statements and school curricula.
It said the measures were part of holding the two entities accountable in line with US national interests. Despite the visa denials, the Palestinians will participate in the General Assembly’s high-level meeting through their diplomats accredited to the United Nations.
In late August 2025, the US State Department announced that senior Palestinian Authority officials, including Abbas, would be denied entry visas and that existing visas would be revoked to prevent them from attending the General Assembly meetings. Abbas participated by videoconference at the time, while the Palestinian Authority expressed regret and surprise at the decision. The decision comes amid differences between Washington and other countries over recognition of a Palestinian state.
