US BLOCKS PALESTINIAN OFFICIALS FROM ATTENDING UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY . (PHOTO).

 US blocks Palestinian officials from attending UN General Assembly 

The Trump Administration announced Friday that it will not issue visas to senior Palestinian officials seeking to travel to New York for the UN General Assembly in September, and it will revoke visas that had already been granted. The move is widely seen as a response to planned initiatives by several Western countries to recognize a Palestinian state during the annual gathering, highlighting a split in international policy toward Gaza and the Palestinian leadership, with the U.S. and Israel on one side and much of the rest of the world on the other.

The State Department cited the Palestinian Authority’s failure to clearly condemn the October 7 attack, alleged incitement to terrorism in its education system, and ongoing international lobbying for recognition as reasons for the visa restrictions. The U.S. also referenced the PA’s legal actions against Israel, including efforts to prosecute Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged crimes in Gaza. While Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas did officially condemn the attack in a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron, the administration’s decision signals an effort to pressure the PA to return to what it calls a “constructive path of compromise and peaceful coexistence with the State of Israel.” Palestinian officials said they had not received formal notification of the visa cancellations and noted that the full implications of the U.S. decision remain unclear.

The potential restriction raises questions about whether Abbas himself will be able to attend the assembly, a move that would be unprecedented given the U.S. obligation under the UN Headquarters Agreement to allow delegations from around the world to participate in the General Assembly. Several countries, including France, the U.K., Canada, and Australia, are planning to join the roughly 150 nations that already recognize Palestine, putting the U.S. stance in contrast with much of the international community. The announcement follows discussions between U.S. and Israeli officials, with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar reportedly encouraging U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to block visas for the Palestinian delegation, a step Sa’ar praised after the decision. Historically, the U.S. has limited the movements of foreign officials during the General Assembly, but outright barring visas is rare; the last comparable instance occurred in the 1980s when then-PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat was denied a visa, prompting the UN to move the assembly to Geneva.