In a bid to “not reward terrorism,” the Trump Administration said it is revoking the visas of officials from the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and the governing party in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Authority (PA), to prevent them from traveling to the United Nations for the general assembly meeting next month.
The unprecedented move flies in the face of the agreement between the US and UN, which stipulates that all heads of state are to be allowed to address the international forum in New York every September.
“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, per orders given by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“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,” the statement continued.
It was not immediately clear if the order applies to all Palestinian officials. The PA’s Mission to the UN, which is already in New York, will receive waivers per the UN Headquarters Agreement, the US noted
At this year’s meeting, the UK, France, Germany and others plan to recognise a Palestinian state, to try and move toward a political resolution in the region.
