The U.S. State Department disclosed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had rescinded the visas of Abbas and 80 other Palestinian officials…reports Asian Lite News
The office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday called on Washington to reverse its decision to revoke his visa, describing the move as unprecedented and politically damaging just weeks before major international gatherings on the Middle East peace process.
The U.S. State Department disclosed on Friday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had rescinded the visas of Abbas and 80 other Palestinian officials. The ban will prevent them from attending the U.N. General Assembly’s high-level session next month, where Abbas has traditionally delivered an address on behalf of the Palestinian people. He was also due to take part in a Sept. 22 conference in New York, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, to revive efforts toward establishing a Palestinian state.
“We call upon the American administration to reverse its decision,” Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh told The Associated Press in Ramallah. “This decision will only increase tension and escalation.”
Abu Rudeineh said the Palestinian leadership had already begun urgent consultations with Arab and international partners. “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 governments backing the two-state solution to pressure Washington into rescinding the restrictions.
The decision has already triggered diplomatic pushback. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot expressed concern over the ban, stressing that denying access to the United Nations undermined the organisation’s neutrality. “The United Nations headquarters is a place of neutrality, a sanctuary dedicated to peace, where conflicts are resolved,” he said Saturday. “The General Assembly cannot suffer any restrictions on access.” He said he would raise the matter with EU counterparts in the coming days.
The U.S. move comes amid a broader escalation in the Middle East. Israel has intensified its offensive in Gaza, declaring Gaza City a combat zone while insisting it remains a Hamas stronghold. Abbas’ office warned that alongside the visa issue, the spiralling violence in Gaza and the West Bank risked destabilising the region further. “None of this will lead to any solution,” Abu Rudeineh said, calling for an immediate halt to the military campaign.
The Trump administration has taken several steps in recent months to limit Palestinian diplomatic engagement. The State Department defended the visa revocations as a matter of national security. “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 department said in a statement.
Palestinian officials countered that the move represented a violation of U.S. obligations as the host nation of the United Nations. Under the U.N. Headquarters Agreement, the U.S. is expected to facilitate access for all member and observer delegations. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric confirmed the organisation would be seeking clarification from Washington.
For Abbas, the ban not only curtails a long tradition of addressing the General Assembly but also sidelines Palestinian representation at a moment when international discussions on a two-state solution are intensifying.
