The US Will Reject Visa Of Palestinian Officials Ahead Of The UN General Assembly Next Month

Illustration of the State of Palestine. (Source: Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

JAKARTA - The US State Department announced that Foreign Minister Marco Rubio refused and revoked visas for Palestinian officials ahead of the UN General Assembly next month.

The move comes a month after the State Department first announced it would continue the policy, which appears to be being implemented, but again did not mention which individuals would be banned.

Justifying this seemingly unprecedented move, the State Department's announcement stated, "It is in our national security interest to hold the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) accountable for their non-compliance with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace", quoted from The Times of Israel August 29.

Prohibiting world leaders from attending high-level weeks of annual General Assemblys seems to violate US commitments to the United Nations.

However, the State Department said it had complied with these requirements because it would continue to allow the Palestinian delegation already in New York to attend the event by granting visa relief to the diplomats.

"Before PLO and PA can be considered peace partners, they must consistently reject terrorism including the October 7 massacre and end terrorism incitement in the field of education, as required by US law and as promised by PLO," the statement said.

Foreign Minister Rubio claimed France's decision to recognize the Palestinian state prompted Hamas to file its demands in hostage negotiations, which ultimately thwarted negotiations on July 24.

However, an Arab diplomat and the second source involved in the negotiations told The Times of Israel that Hamas' new demands were filed hours before French President Emmanuel Macron's announcement that Paris would recognize the Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September.

Statement of the State Department concludes, "The US remains open to re-engagement consistent with our law, if the Palestinian Authority/PLO fulfills their obligations and takes concrete steps to return to a constructive compromise pathway and peaceful coexistence with the State of Israel."