US again denies Palestinian President visa to attend UN General Assembly

The United States has again denied Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas a visa to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York, preventing him from travelling to the annual gathering of world leaders for the second consecutive year.

The Trump administration has extended visa restrictions on officials of the Palestinian Authority and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization ahead of next week’s UN General Assembly. A source familiar with the matter confirmed that Abbas is among those affected. 

The US State Department accused the PA and PLO of failing to meet commitments to Washington and cited their efforts to pursue cases involving Israel at the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice, as well as moves seeking international recognition of a Palestinian state outside direct negotiations. 

Palestinian officials have argued that decades of US-mediated negotiations have failed to end the Israeli occupation and secure an independent Palestinian state. 

The decision comes despite the United States’ obligations as host of the UN headquarters in New York. Under the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement, the US is generally required to facilitate access for foreign representatives attending UN meetings, although Washington maintains that visa restrictions can be imposed under certain circumstances. 

Abbas was also denied entry for the UN General Assembly in 2025 and instead addressed the gathering by video. The 193-member General Assembly is expected to vote on allowing him to again submit a video address for this year’s meeting. (Newswire/ Reuters)

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