Trump administration revokes Palestinian visas ahead of New York summit

Secretary of State Marco Rubio planned to void and deny visas from members of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority ahead of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly, according to a Friday release from the Department of State. The Trump administration will not reward terrorism, and both groups must be held accountable for undermining the peace process between Israel and the terror group Hamas, the department said. Both Palestinian delegations must consistently renounce terrorism to be considered a partner in peace, including denouncing Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, according to the release. They must also end what the State Department calls the incitement to terrorism in education.

Additionally, the State Department said the Palestinian Authority must stop trying to use international law bodies, like the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, to bypass negotiations and stop seeking recognition as a hypothetical state. Both of these issues directly contributed to Hamas’ refusal to release hostages and the breakdown of Gaza peace talks, the statement said. The State Department’s principal deputy spokesman, Tommy Pigott, described the Palestinian pursuit of what he characterized as a hypothetical Palestinian state as counterproductive in a Friday statement.

What does this mean for the next United Nations meeting? New York City will host the 80th UN General Assembly meeting for two weeks in September. The state department planned to honor its UN agreement and grant waivers only to members of the Palestinian Authority's UN mission.

Palestinian officials released a Friday statement describing their astonishment at the administration’s decision. This decision clearly contradicts international law and UN policy, the statement said. Palestinian leaders called on the president to reverse the decision and reaffirm the Palestinian obligations for peace.

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Russell’s report on major western countries like Canada and France recognizing an official Palestinian state.