US bars Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, 80 officials from attending UN meeting in New York
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Palestinian leaders of undermining peace and pushing for “the unilateral recognition of a conjectural Palestinian state”.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will not attend next month’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York after the United States revoked his visa, along with those of more than 80 Palestinian officials.
According to the US State Department, the revocation was tied to Palestinian attempts to push for recognition of statehood outside of negotiations. Palestinians have condemned the move as unlawful and politically motivated.
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Palestinian leaders of undermining peace and pushing for “the unilateral recognition of a conjectural Palestinian state”.
Rubio said Palestinian representatives based in New York could still participate in UN meetings under the UN headquarters agreement, which ensures access for foreign delegations. The extent to which the decision complies with that agreement remains unclear.
Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour had earlier announced that the Palestinian leader would head the delegation at the gathering.
In a response, the president’s office said the visa block “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 Washington to reconsider the move.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar praised the US action, echoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s long-standing rejection of a two-state solution. Netanyahu insists that recognising Palestine would reward “Hamas’s monstrous terrorism.”
Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people. Gaza Health Ministry says more than 63,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war started.
Announcing the ban, Rubio said, “Before the PLO and PA can be considered partners for peace, they must consistently repudiate terrorism, including the October 7 massacre and end incitement to terrorism in education, as required by US law and as promised by the PLO.”
He also warned against Palestinian efforts to bypass negotiations by pursuing cases against Israel at international courts.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the organisation was engaging with Washington to resolve the matter.
“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, the UK, Canada and Australia are among the countries that intend to back recognition of Palestine during the Assembly session.
While 147 UN members already recognise Palestine, its borders remain undefined and large areas of the West Bank are under Israeli settlement control, leaving little expectation of immediate change on the ground even if the recognition move passes.
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