US Rejects President Abbas's Visa, Palestinian Authority: Unjustifiable!

The Palestinian Authority has strongly condemned the decision by the United States to refuse visas for its officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas, to attend the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York next week.

The Palestinian Authority considers Washington’s move to be “unjustifiable.”

The visa refusal was revealed by a source familiar with the matter, as reported by AFP on Thursday (17/09/2026), stating that the US did not grant entry visas for the Palestinian Authority President to attend the UN General Assembly session.

This marks the second time the US administration under President Donald Trump has refused a visa for Abbas. Last year, Abbas, who usually attends the UN General Assembly in person, delivered his speech to the forum of world leaders via video.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted harshly to the US government’s decision.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described such a move as “an unjustifiable step, which contradicts efforts to rebuild trust, develop Palestine-US relations, and create the political climate necessary for the implementation of a two-state solution and the realisation of peace and stability.”

The US State Department also denied visas to members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and other Palestinian Authority (PA) officials.

“As a consequence of their failure to implement reforms, which contradicts their commitments to the United States, and their ongoing activities that undermine the prospects for peace,” the US State Department stated in its announcement.

The US State Department also noted that members of the PLO and Palestinian Authority officials have “once again failed to meet their commitments.”

“This includes the initiation and support of actions in international organisations that are destructive and contrary to previous commitments,” the US State Department statement added.

The Trump administration’s move places the US at odds with many countries, including France, which recognised the State of Palestine at the UN forum last year. A total of 142 UN member states have expressed support for the State of Palestine following a two-state solution conference led by France and Saudi Arabia.