US Denies Entry to Palestinian Leader Abbas for UN General Assembly

The U.S. State Department officially confirmed on September 17 that visa restrictions for senior Palestinian Authority (PA) officials and PLO Executive Committee members remain in place, citing their failure to meet obligations to Washington. Consequently, PA President Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, has been denied a visa to enter the United States, preventing him from addressing the UN General Assembly in New York for the second consecutive year. In 2025, Abbas addressed the assembly via video link after his visa request was rejected, despite protests from the PA and international rights groups.

While the State Department's official statement did not name Abbas directly, a senior U.S. official confirmed to AFP that the sanctions apply to him. Reuters reported that a special vote would be held at the General Assembly on September 17 to confirm Abbas's right to speak remotely, a procedure similar to the previous year's pre-recorded address.

The State Department stated that the PA and PLO Executive Committee contribute to the demonization of Israel, support international lawsuits, pursue unilateral statehood recognition, and continue payments to "terrorists" and the "glorification of terrorism in official statements and schools." The statement also cited the PA's "failure to implement reforms despite commitments made to the U.S." and "continued actions undermining the prospects for peace." Existing visa waivers for staff at the Palestinian mission to the UN remain in effect.

Approximately a month prior, reports indicated that Abbas had appealed to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to intervene with President Trump to reverse the decision. However, Washington signaled no intention to change its stance, despite Trump's frequent positive remarks about Erdogan.

Separately, President Trump is reportedly planning a meeting with leaders from Gulf nations on the sidelines of the General Assembly to discuss actions against Iran. Axios, citing three sources, reported that Trump would meet with leaders or foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman. Trump has indicated progress in efforts to end a conflict, stating that "we are getting very close to finishing the war" and that Iran "very much wants to make a deal."