Washington’s move breaks its UN host agreement and comes as France, Canada, Australia, and Britain push for recognition of Palestine amid Israel’s devastating Gaza war.
The United States said it will refuse visas to members of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The decision comes ahead of next month’s United Nations General Assembly in New York. France is leading the push for recognition of a Palestinian state.
The announcement came from Secretary of State Marco Rubio under President Donald Trump’s administration. It marks one of Washington’s strongest moves against the Palestinians in decades. The decision also deepens US support for Israel as it continues its two-year war in Gaza.
Breaking UN agreements
The UN Headquarters Agreement of 1947 says the United States, as host country, cannot block representatives of member states or observers from entering New York for UN meetings. But the State Department said it will deny and revoke visas for about 80 Palestinian officials.
“The Trump administration has been clear: 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 State Department said in a statement.
US officials accused the Palestinians of “lawfare.” The term, often used by Trump about his own legal problems, was aimed at Palestinian cases against Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Palestinian response
The Palestinian Authority urged the US to reverse its decision. It stated that Washington’s move violates international law and its obligations as a UN host.
“This decision stands in clear contradiction to international law and the UN Headquarters Agreement,” said the office of President Mahmoud Abbas.
Abbas, now 89, had planned to attend the summit. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said all delegations and observers, including the Palestinians, must be represented. “We obviously hope this will be resolved,” he added.
Growing recognition of Palestine
French President Emmanuel Macron has called for immediate recognition of Palestine. He says Israel’s relentless war in Gaza leaves no room for delay.
Since Macron’s announcement, Canada and Australia have joined the call. Britain has said it will also recognise Palestine unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire.
The United States and Israel have accused France and its allies of “rewarding Hamas.” They argue that the West Bank-based PA is no different from the Gaza-based group. Israel, which rejects a Palestinian state, continues its war in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands and displaced most of the population.
A long history of exclusion
This is not the first time Washington has blocked Palestinians from the UN. In 1988, the US denied a visa to Yasser Arafat. The General Assembly then convened in Geneva, allowing him to speak.
Analysts say the latest move recalls that history. But now it comes as Israel faces growing global outrage over its Gaza campaign, which many leaders and rights groups call genocide.
Isolation deepens for Israel and the US
Israeli officials praised the US decision. Yet many governments view it as proof of Washington’s double standards. The US often allows leaders accused of war crimes to enter New York. But it has shut out Palestinian leaders who are seeking diplomacy and statehood.
“The Palestinians are being punished not for violence, but for diplomacy,” one Middle East analyst said. “The US is undermining its role as UN host, while Israel pushes itself deeper into isolation with this war.”
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