The U.S. has suspended almost all visas for Palestinian Passport holders, The New York Times reported.
This comes after 80 Palestinian officials were denied visas.
In a press release, the Department of State said, “Before the PLO and PA can be considered partners for peace, they must consistently repudiate terrorism —including the October 7 massacre— and end incitement to terrorism in education, as required by U.S. law and as promised by the PLO.”
The Palestine Liberation Organization is a political organization founded in 1964 to represent the Palestinian people.
The Palestinian Authority is the governing body that oversees the West Bank, which is occupied by the Israeli Government.
President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine was one of the many officials blocked from entering the country.
Abbas was accused of undermining peace because he leads both the PLO and PA, the BBC reported.
“Every visa decision is a national security decision, and the State Department is vetting and adjudicating visa decisions for PA passport holders accordingly,” a State Department spokesperson told CNN.
This decision comes weeks before the U.N. General Assembly meeting this month.
According to The Guardian, “as host of the UN in New York, the US is not supposed to refuse visas for officials heading to the world body for the general assembly.”
In a press release, a U.S. spokesperson said that officials with the PA Mission to the U.N. will receive waivers based on the U.N. headquarters agreement.
But this doesn’t just affect leaders coming to the U.S.; it also affects those coming for school, business travel and medical treatment. The AP reported that more than 1,000 student visas have been revoked, as the Trump administration continues to crack down on migrants.
The Trump administration said in a media note, “The United States remains open to re-engagement that is consistent with our laws, should the PA/PLO meet their obligations and demonstrably take concrete steps to return to a constructive path of compromise and peaceful coexistence with the State of Israel.”
