Palestinian president urges US to reinstate his visa ahead of key UN meetings

AFP , Saturday 30 Aug 2025

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ office on Saturday urged the U.S. government to reverse its unusual decision to revoke his visa, weeks before he was meant to appear at the U.N.’s main annual meeting and an international conference about creating a Palestinian state.

File Photo: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters. AP

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio rescinded the visas of Abbas and 80 other officials ahead of next month’s annual high-level meeting of the U.N. General Assembly, the State Department disclosed Friday.

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, notably the countries that have organized a high-level conference on Sept. 22 about reviving efforts for a two-state solution for the Middle East. It is co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia.

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.”

Abu Rudeineh also urged an end to Israel’s 22-month war on Gaza and "escalation in the West Bank, because none of this will lead to any solution.”

The move came as the Israeli military declared Gaza’s largest city a combat zone ahead of plans to occupy the city.

The Trump administration has taken several steps to target Palestinians with visa restrictions.

“It is in our national security interests to hold the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) and PA (Palestinian Authority) accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace,” the State Department said in a statement.

The Palestinian Authority denounced the visa withdrawals as a violation of U.S. commitments as the host country of the United Nations. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the world body would be seeking clarification from the State Department.