Visa Denial Confirmed
Washington decided to repeat last year's gesture, rejecting the visa request of the Palestinian Authority's president, Mahmoud Abbas, for the autumn session of the UN General Assembly in New York. A well-informed source confirmed on Wednesday that the Palestinian leader will not be able to physically reach New York to present his speech to world diplomats.
State Department Statement
The US State Department issued an official statement announcing the refusal of travel documents not only for Abbas but also for other senior officials from the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The official text cited the repeated failure of partners to implement promised reforms and concrete actions considered by the American administration as factors eroding peace prospects in the region. Although Mahmoud Abbas's name was not explicitly mentioned in the written statement, AFP sources verified that the PA president is automatically included in this restrictive measure.
Diplomatic Precedent
This is not the first time the administration led by Donald Trump has applied this type of diplomatic sanction. The same motives led to the same decision last year, forcing the Palestinian leader, a usual participant at UN gatherings, to address the global governing body via video link—a situation considered by many observers as a formality lacking the necessary gravity for such an event.
Accusations Against Palestinian Organizations
In Wednesday's statement, the State Department emphasized that the PLO and PA failed againin honoring commitments toward the United States. American officials specified that Palestinian organizations have initiated and supported movements within international bodies that contradict and weaken previous promises. Washington listed detailed accusations, including efforts to internationalize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The US also reproaches Palestinian authorities for trying to circumvent direct negotiation processes by obtaining unilateral recognition of statehood, continuing payments to families of terrorists, and promoting public glorification of terrorism and terrorists, including through school textbooks and official statements.
International Contrast
This firm US position directly contradicts the trend adopted by numerous other countries, including France, which officially recognized the Palestinian state within the UN last year. At the conference dedicated to the two-state solution, organized under the co-presidency of France and Saudi Arabia, a record number of 142 UN member states supported the initiative, creating a visible contrast with American reluctance.
Escalation of Violence
The decision to block Palestinian officials' access comes against the backdrop of a dramatic escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank. In recent months, attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian residents have significantly intensified. The historical context remains decisive: Israel has controlled the West Bank since 1967, and tensions peaked unprecedentedly after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which triggered the Gaza conflict.
Casualty Figures
Recent statistical data, compiled by AFP based on reports from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, indicates an alarming figure: at least 1,109 Palestinians, both fighters and civilians, have been killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers in the West Bank since October 7, 2023. On that day, the coordinated Hamas attack caused the death of over 1,200 people. The Israeli military response has been of unprecedented scale, with continuous bombings in Gaza leading, according to the local health ministry (under Hamas authority, but whose data is validated by the UN), to a death toll exceeding 73,700.
International Response
The international community has expressed concern about the spiral of violence, but the United States has maintained relative restraint on this issue. The American government has limited its public statements to a firm opposition to any form of annexation of Palestinian territories, avoiding direct criticism of how military or diplomatic operations are conducted.