The United States announced on Friday that it will not allow Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas to travel to New York next month for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where several U.S. allies are set to formally recognize Palestine as a state.
According to a State Department official, the decision affects Abbas and about 80 other Palestinians tied to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the West Bank-based PA. The move includes visa denials and revocations, effectively preventing them from attending the high-level UN gathering.
“Violation of the UN Headquarters Agreement”
Abbas’ office expressed astonishment, saying the U.S. action violated the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement, which generally obliges Washington to allow foreign diplomats access to UN meetings in New York.
Palestinian spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh urged the Biden administration to reconsider:
“We call on the U.S. administration to reverse this decision, which contradicts international law, specifically the Headquarters Agreement… It prohibits preventing any delegation from access.”
European Allies Criticize U.S. Move
The U.S. decision triggered criticism from European leaders ahead of an EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Copenhagen.
- French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot insisted that a UNGA “cannot be subject to any restrictions on access.”
- Irish Foreign Minister Simon Harris called for the EU to protest the move “in the strongest possible terms.”
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he had spoken with Abbas to express Madrid’s support, calling the visa ban “unjust.”
“Palestine has the right to make its voice heard at the United Nations and in all international forums,” Sanchez wrote on X.
U.S. Cites Security and Extremism Concerns
The State Department defended its decision, accusing the PA and PLO of failing to repudiate extremism while seeking “unilateral recognition” of Palestinian statehood.“It is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace,” the statement said.
It stressed that the PA’s permanent UN mission would not be affected by the restrictions. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric confirmed that the matter would be taken up with Washington.
Historical Precedent
The controversy recalls a 1988 episode when the U.S. refused a visa to then-PLO leader Yasser Arafat. In response, the UN General Assembly convened in Geneva so Arafat could deliver his address.
The move comes as Britain, France, Australia, and Canada are preparing to recognize Palestine as a state during the UN session. Already, 147 of the 193 UN member states extend recognition, though Palestine currently holds observer status, similar to the Vatican.
The Palestinians seek an independent state comprising the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem as its capital. Israel and the U.S., however, maintain that statehood can only result from direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar welcomed Washington’s decision, which comes amid frustration in Western capitals over Israel’s war in Gaza and continued settlement expansion in the West Bank.
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Gaza War Backdrop
The decision also reflects tensions following the deadly October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which reignited war in Gaza. Tens of thousands have been killed in Israeli strikes, and aid groups warn of an unfolding starvation crisis.
Although Abbas condemned the Hamas attack in a letter to France’s president earlier this year and urged the release of hostages, U.S. officials say Palestinian leaders must “consistently repudiate terrorism” to be considered credible diplomatic partners.
