Palestine Rejects US ‘Terrorism’ Claims After Delegation Blocked From UN Meet
US denies visas to Palestinian delegation, citing alleged terrorism glorification and stalled reforms, barring President Mahmoud Abbas from UN meeting.
By Pranjal Gupta
New Delhi, September 17: The United States has denied visas to a high-level Palestinian delegation, preventing them from attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York next month. It cited that the Palestinian leadership failed to carry out reforms and “glorified the acts of terrorism”.
This is the second time in a row that the Trump administration has imposed visa restrictions on Palestinian officials. The delegation reportedly includes Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, meaning he will not be able to attend the UN meeting in person.
In a statement, the US State Department said “the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Palestinian Authority (PA), once again, failed to live up to their commitments.”
The department accused the Palestinian leadership of trying to “internationalise” the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through institutions such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and of seeking recognition of a Palestinian state outside negotiations with Israel.
Washington also said the Palestinian leadership continues to “pay stipends” to people it describes as terrorists and to “glorify acts of terrorism and terrorists in public statements and school textbooks.”
Palestine Rejects US Claims
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the US position and defended its use of international institutions and international law.
“Resorting to international institutions and international law is a legitimate right of the State of Palestine, and a peaceful and legal means to protect our people and their rights,” the ministry said.
It also said Washington had ignored reforms carried out by the Palestinian government in areas including social protection, finance, administration, education and law.
The ministry urged the US administration to assess those reforms on facts and professional reports rather than what it called outdated political claims.
Why Abbas Cannot Attend
The visa denial means Abbas will not be able to travel to New York for the General Assembly. Last year, after the US had denied him a visa, the UN General Assembly allowed him to address the gathering by video. The Assembly is expected to consider a similar arrangement this year.
Palestine has non-member observer-state status at the UN. Its representatives can participate in proceedings but cannot vote.
The latest restrictions come amid wider tensions between Washington and the Palestinian leadership over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Palestinian statehood and international legal action involving Israel.
The Trump administration has also taken action against officials of the ICC after the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
The visa restrictions add to the diplomatic tensions between the US and Palestinian leadership as the annual UN gathering approaches.
