State Department Extends Visa Ban on Abbas, Blocking 2nd Straight UN Visit
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 17
State Department Extends Visa Ban on Abbas, Blocking 2nd Straight UN Visit
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 17
Summary
Mahmoud Abbas will again be unable to attend next week’s UN General Assembly in New York after the State Department extended visa denials for Palestinian officials.
The department said the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority had not changed practices it says internationalize the conflict, including pursuing cases in international courts, and were still glorifying terrorism.
Congress was notified of the extension, which follows a 2025 decision by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to deny visas to Palestinian officials over alleged noncompliance with peace commitments.
The move underscores the Trump administration’s broader effort to pressure Palestinian leadership, including opposition to cases at the ICC and ICJ and earlier restrictions on Palestinian visitor visas.