WASHINGTON — The United States has refused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas a visa to attend next week’s UN General Assembly in New York.The decision marks the second consecutive year Abbas has been prevented from travelling to the annual gathering. Last year, he addressed the assembly remotely after member states approved his participation by video.The refusal comes as the State Department announced it was extending visa restrictions on Palestinian Authority officials and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization, accusing them of failing to implement reforms and undermining prospects for peace, days before the UN General Assembly convenes in New York.The State Department said it reported to Congress that the PLO and PA had again failed to meet commitments under US laws, citing actions to internationalize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including through the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ).It also cited Palestinian officials’ efforts to “bypass negotiations through seeking unilateral recognition” of a Palestinian state.“As a consequence of their failure to reform … the United States will extend sanctions that deny visas to PLO members and PA officials,” the department said in a statement.The announcement follows a similar US move last year, when Washington denied or revoked visas for PLO and PA officials ahead of the 2025 General Assembly. The PA Mission to the UN received waivers under the UN Headquarters Agreement.The Palestinian side did not immediately issue a public response to Wednesday’s US visa announcement.The Anadolu news agency asked the State Department earlier whether it had made a final determination on visas for the Palestinian delegation, and the legal basis for any visa denials or restrictions.State Department Deputy Spokeswoman Paloma Chacan responded in an emailed statement that the Trump administration considers “every visa decision is a national security decision,” including for the participants of the UN General Assembly.“While we take seriously our obligations as a host country to the UN, we will continue to protect Americans by upholding the highest standards of vetting and screening for all applicants,” Chacón said.She added that delegations had been given guidance on visa applications ahead of the General Assembly and that failure to meet vetting standards or comply with other guidance could result in visa denial.
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