Press Release: Veritas Press C.I.C. Author: Kamran Faqir Article Date Published: 30 Aug 2025 at 12:26 GMT Category: Americas | Politics | US Denies Visas To PLO and PA Source(s): Veritas Press C.I.C. | Multi News Agencies
WASHINGTON / RAMALLAH / NEW YORK – August 30, 2025, The United States has barred Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas and nearly 80 senior Palestinian officials from entering the country for the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in what critics say is a coordinated U.S.-Israeli effort to crush Palestinian diplomacy and pre-empt a major international push for statehood recognition.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Friday that the U.S. would deny and revoke visas for members of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and PA, accusing them of “undermining prospects for peace” and waging “lawfare campaigns” at international courts. The decision comes as Britain, France, Australia, Canada, and other U.S. allies prepare to formally recognise Palestine during the 80th UNGA session, which opens September 9 in New York.
A Coordinated Strategy: Blocking Diplomacy At The UN.
Diplomats and analysts see the move as a pre-emptive strike to silence Palestinian voices at the UN and shield Israel from escalating international condemnation over its war in Gaza and settlement expansion in the West Bank.
“This is not about security; it’s about killing Palestinian diplomacy,” said a senior European diplomat. “Washington knows Abbas addressing the UN while Western states recognise Palestine would be a diplomatic earthquake.”
The timing, just days before Abbas was set to travel to New York for a statehood summit, has fuelled allegations that the Trump administration is acting in lockstep with Israel to block Palestinian statehood momentum.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar openly welcomed the decision, calling it a “necessary measure,” reinforcing suspicions of direct coordination. Palestinian officials say this fits a broader U.S.-Israeli strategy to punish Palestinian leaders for turning to international law after decades of failed negotiations.
Palestinian Outrage And Legal Challenges:
The PA condemned the move as a “flagrant violation of international law”, citing the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement, which obligates the host country to allow all official UN participants entry.
“This decision contradicts international law and the UN Headquarters Agreement, particularly since the State of Palestine is an observer member of the United Nations,” the Palestine Mission to the UK posted on X.
PA spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh warned of a “major diplomatic crisis” and urged Washington to reverse its stance.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric confirmed the organisation is in talks with the U.S.:
“We expect all member states to uphold their commitments under the Headquarters Agreement.”
The Official U.S. Justification:
Secretary Rubio defended the restrictions as necessary for national security, citing alleged failure by the PA and PLO to repudiate terrorism, including the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. The U.S. also demanded Palestinians end ‘lawfare’ campaigns at the ICC and ICJ, where Israel faces war crimes and genocide allegations.
Critics call this a political smokescreen, noting Abbas condemned the October 7 attacks in June and has repeatedly called for hostage releases. Analysts argue the real motive is to prevent Abbas from leveraging global outrage against Israel to advance recognition.
Reality Check: Is The Palestinian Statehood Dream Dead?
Even as France, the UK, and others prepare symbolic recognition, experts warn that the practical reality of a Palestinian state has all but collapsed:
- Fragmented Territories: Gaza lies in ruins after nearly two years of war, while the West Bank is fragmented by hundreds of Israeli checkpoints and massive settlement expansion, making a contiguous Palestinian state virtually impossible.
- Loss of Sovereignty: Israel maintains full military control over borders, airspace, and security, while the PA’s authority is limited and heavily dependent on Israeli coordination.
- Demographic Shift: Over 750,000 Israeli settlers now live in the West Bank, according to UN figures, many in fortified settlements Israel has vowed never to dismantle.
- International Paralysis: Even if 150 nations recognise Palestine at the UNGA, the U.S. veto at the Security Council blocks full UN membership, leaving Palestine stuck in observer status.
“Statehood has become a hollow slogan,” said Yezid Sayigh, a senior fellow at Carnegie Middle East Centre. “What exists is a fragmented autonomy under occupation, not sovereignty.”
Legal scholar Rashid Khalidi was more blunt: “The two-state solution is dead. It was killed by settlements and decades of U.S. complicity. What we’re seeing now is a battle over symbols, not reality.”
European Allies Push Back: ‘Palestine Must Be Heard’
European officials blasted Washington’s move:
- France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot: “A UN General Assembly cannot be subject to any restrictions on access.”
- Ireland’s Simon Harris: “The EU should protest in the strongest possible terms.”
- Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez: “Palestine has the right to make its voice heard at the United Nations.”
Diplomatic sources told Reuters that emergency EU consultations are underway to coordinate a collective response and that moving the UNGA session outside the U.S. is now under discussion, echoing the 1988 Geneva precedent when Washington barred Yasser Arafat.
Analysis: Washington Risks Isolation.
By barring Abbas and his delegation, the Trump administration is doubling down on its rejection of Palestinian statehood outside negotiations with Israel, talks that have been dead for over a decade. But this move risks deepening America’s isolation, even among its closest allies, while fuelling perceptions that the U.S. is weaponising its UN host status to protect Israel and suppress Palestinian diplomacy.
“This is about more than Palestine,” warned Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group. “If the U.S. can block delegations it doesn’t like, it undermines the entire multilateral system.”
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