US blocks Palestinian leader from attending UN General Assembly in New York

The United States announced on August 29 that it will prevent Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas from travelling to New York next month for the United Nations General Assembly, where several US allies are expected to recognise Palestine as a state.

A US State Department official, quoted by Arab media, confirmed that Abbas, along with around 80 other Palestinians, would be affected by the decision to deny and revoke visas. Those impacted include members of the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA).

Abbas had planned to attend the annual high-level UN General Assembly at UN headquarters in Manhattan. He was also expected to participate in a summit hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, where countries including Britain, France, Australia, and Canada have pledged to formally recognise a Palestinian state.

Abbas’ office expressed astonishment at the US decision, arguing that it violated the UN “headquarters agreement,” which generally obliges the United States to allow foreign diplomats access to the UN in New York. Washington, however, maintains that visas can be denied for reasons of security, extremism, or foreign policy.

The State Department justified the move by citing longstanding US and Israeli allegations that the PA and PLO had not repudiated extremism and were pursuing “unilateral recognition” of a Palestinian state. Palestinian officials reject these claims, noting that decades of US-mediated negotiations have failed to end Israeli occupation or establish an independent Palestinian state.

The department emphasised that the decision is aligned with US national security interests, holding the PLO and PA accountable for failing to comply with commitments and allegedly undermining the prospects for peace. Officials based permanently at the Palestinian Authority’s UN mission will not be affected by the restrictions.

Reacting to the decision, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated on August 30 that there should be no limitations on access to next month’s UN General Assembly. Speaking at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Denmark, Barrot emphasised that “a UN General Assembly meeting should not be subject to any restrictions on access.”

By Tamilla Hasanova