By Janet Ekstract, NEW YORK – On Friday, August 29, the Trump administration announced it will not issue visas to senior Palestinian officials who want to attend the U.N. General Assembly in New York City in September. The move comes after a planned initiative by Western countries to recognize a Palestinian state at the global U.N. meetings. Sources have said the Trump administration is trying to stave off an attempt by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to declare Palestine an independent state. The discussion on blocking the visas was discussed between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on August 27, when Sa’ar persuaded Rubio to block visas for the Palestinian delegation. After the announcement, Sa’ar thanked the Trump administration, saying: “for holding the PLO and PA accountable for rewarding terrorism, incitement and efforts to use legal warfare against Israel.” In response, the Palestinian Authority said it “deeply regrets the decision,” adding “which stands in clear contradiction to international law and the UN Headquarters agreement.” The U.S. State Department’s response stated: “The PA Mission to the UN will receive waivers per the UN Headquarters Agreement. The U.S. remains open to re-engagement that is consistent with our laws, should the PA/PLO meet their obligations and demonstrably take concrete steps to return to a constructive path of compromise and peaceful coexistence with the State of Israel. The visas apply to Abbas and 80 Palestinian officials.
Meanwhile, the State Department said the decision is based on a claim that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas did not condemn the October 7 attacks on Israel – when in fact, Abbas did condemn the attack in a formal letter to French President Emmanuel Macron several weeks ago. The State Department also accused the Palestinian Authority (PA) of incitement to terrorism in its education system and international lobbying for international recognition of a Palestinian state. A senior Palestinian official said they were prepared for the State Department response, but that the PA had not yet received information about the visa cancellations. In the latest news on this issue, Abbas will not be allowed to attend the U.N. General Assembly. The PA had discussed the possibility of visa bans for Palestinian officials with the office of the U.N. Secretary General. Analysts and experts on the Middle East, view the Trump administration’s decision as a means to prevent a number of nations from declaring Palestinian statehood during the U.N. General Assembly. So far, 150 countries are in favor of declaring a Palestinian statehood, and Saudi Arabia, along with Franc,e has been creating a plan for a two-state solution, which Israeli PM Netanyahu and his far-right coalition are completely opposed to.
