Trump expected to lead meeting on Gaza plans
The office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged the U.S. government on Saturday to reverse its decision to revoke his visa, weeks before he is meant to appear at the United Nations' annual meeting and an international conference about creating a Palestinian state.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio rescinded the visas of Abbas and 80 other officials ahead of next month's high-level meeting of the U.N. General Assembly, the State Department disclosed on Friday. Palestinian representatives assigned to the U.N. mission were granted exceptions.
The move is the latest in a series of steps the Trump administration has taken to target Palestinians with visa restrictions.
The State Department said in a statement that Rubio also ordered some new visa applications from Palestinian officials, including those tied to the Palestine Liberation Organization, to be denied.
"It is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace," the statement said.
Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine, speaks during the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 26, 2024, in New York City.
Stephanie Keith / Getty Images
The Palestinian Authority denounced the visa withdrawals as a violation of U.S. commitments as the host country of the United Nations.
Abbas has addressed the General Assembly for many years and generally leads the Palestinian delegation.
"We call upon the American administration to reverse its decision. This decision will only increase tension and escalation," Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh told The Associated Press in Ramallah on Saturday.
"We have been in contact since yesterday with Arab and foreign countries, especially those directly concerned with this issue. This effort will continue around the clock," he said.
He urged other countries to put pressure on the Trump administration to reverse the decision.
EU countries back Palestinian leader
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot protested restrictions on access to the U.N. General Assembly, and said he would discuss the issue with EU counterparts.
"The United Nations headquarters is a place of neutrality, a sanctuary dedicated to peace, where conflicts are resolved," he said Saturday. "The UN General Assembly … cannot suffer any restrictions on access."
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he spoke with Abbas on Saturday to tell him that Madrid supports him and called the visa denial "unjust."
"Palestine has the right to make its voice heard at the United Nations and in all international forums," he said on X.
The move by the U.S. came as the Israeli military declared Gaza's largest city a combat zone. Israel says Gaza City remains a stronghold of Hamas.
