The State Department announced last week that members of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority will have their visas denied or revoked ahead of the United Nations General Assembly this month.
The Trump administration argued the move was in accordance with U.S. law, as the PLO and PA “are not in compliance with their commitments under the PLO Commitments Compliance Act of 1989 (PLOCCA) and the Middle East Peace Commitments Act of 2002 (MEPCA),” according to the State Department. “It is in our national security interests to impose consequences and hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments and undermining the prospects for peace.”
The move barring some 80 officials, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, comes as many nations have announced their intention to recognize Palestinian statehood at the U.N. General Assembly.
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 PA must also end its attempts to bypass negotiations through international lawfare campaigns, including appeals to the ICC and ICJ, and efforts to secure the unilateral recognition of a conjectural Palestinian state. Both steps materially contributed to Hamas’s refusal to release its hostages, and to the breakdown of the Gaza ceasefire talks.
The PA Mission to the UN will receive waivers per the UN Headquarters Agreement. 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. (State Department)
Recommended
.@StateDeputySpox details new U.S. visa sanctions on Palestinian Authority Officials and Members of the Palestine Liberation Organization, “These actions reflect our national security interests and our commitment to holding the PLO and PA accountable for undermining the prospects… pic.twitter.com/o0VmkkxI18
— Department of State (@StateDept) July 31, 2025
Today the Trump Administration is announcing it will deny and revoke visas from members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) ahead of the upcoming UN General Assembly per U.S. law.
— Tommy Pigott (@StateDeputySpox) August 29, 2025
Before we take them seriously as partners in…
The Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization pay terrorists to kill civilians, including Americans in Israel.
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) August 29, 2025
The terrorists who run this pay-for-slay scheme have no business setting foot in the United States. https://t.co/PCDq8u5l77
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
Help us continue to report on the administration’s peace through strength foreign policy and its successes. Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member