US Plans to Bar Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas From UN General Assembly in New York

A US official told The Times of Israel that the Trump administration intends to prevent Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas from traveling to New York next month to address the UN General Assembly, marking the second consecutive year of such a ban. Last year, the US refused to grant Abbas a visa, citing Palestinian actions that undermined peace prospects, though Washington did not specify these allegations. This move was seen as part of an effort to undermine a conference hosted by France and Saudi Arabia aimed at advancing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

This year, no similar conference is planned at the UN, but the US plans to maintain the precedent set last year regarding Abbas's attendance. In an attempt to reverse the decision, Abbas asked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss the matter with President Trump, according to a Palestinian source. However, Erdogan was unable to persuade Trump to overturn the US State Department's decision.

When questioned about the issue, a UN official expressed hope that the United States would honor its commitments as the host country of the UN and allow the travel of delegation leaders intending to speak at the General Assembly.