Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is among those barred for the second consecutive year.
Published On 17 Sep 2026
The United States State Department has declared that it will maintain visa restrictions on Palestinian Authority (PA) officials and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) members. This action prevents Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from traveling to New York to address the United Nations General Assembly, marking the second consecutive year such restrictions have been implemented.
In an official statement, the State Department asserted, “Due to their failure to enact reforms, contrary to their commitments to the United States, and their ongoing endeavors that compromise the prospects for peace, the United States will continue to enforce sanctions that deny visas to PLO members and PA officials.”
The State Department alleged that the PA violated US legislation by seeking international acknowledgment of Palestinian statehood outside of direct negotiations, escalating its dispute with Israel to international tribunals, and providing financial support to individuals and families whom the US and Israel designate as convicted attackers.
The department noted that the PA’s mission to the United Nations will retain a waiver under the UN Headquarters Agreement, permitting its regular staff to continue their duties even as specific officials are prohibited from entering the country.
Abbas’s upcoming address was anticipated to advocate for the international recognition of Palestinian statehood and reinvigorated support for a two-state solution. This follows a recent wave of recognitions by the United Kingdom, France, Canada, and other Western nations this month. Additionally, the speech was expected to highlight the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the rapid expansion of illegal Israeli settlements and settler violence across the occupied West Bank.
Despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza, no Israeli officials face comparable US travel restrictions.
The previous year’s travel ban faced criticism from Palestinian officials and UN human rights experts. They argued that the visa restrictions violate the US obligation to permit individuals invited by the UN to travel to its New York headquarters. Furthermore, they contended that isolating Palestinian representatives while shielding Israeli leaders contradicts Washington’s declared dedication to a negotiated peace.