The United States has refused to grant visas to the Palestinian delegation to the UN General Assembly, including President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other officials, prompting calls to relocate a key conference on the two-state solution from New York to Geneva. The one-day session, scheduled to begin on Tuesday, is considered the most important diplomatic event for Palestine since the Oslo accords, with several countries expected to recognise a Palestinian state.
This marks the first time such a blanket visa ban has been attempted in UN history. Danish MEP Per Clausen urged Europe to propose moving the meeting to Geneva to uphold Palestinian representation and send a clear signal to President Donald Trump. The US State Department justified the move by citing national security interests and accusing the Palestinian Liberation Organisation and Palestinian Authority of failing to comply with commitments, including repudiating terrorism and ending incitement.
The State Department also criticised Palestinian efforts to bypass negotiations through international legal campaigns and unilateral recognition, arguing these steps hindered hostage releases and Gaza ceasefire talks. The US has previously denied visas to Palestinian leaders, including Yasser Arafat in 1988, but never to an entire delegation.
Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour confirmed Abbas planned to address the General Assembly and attend a delayed meeting co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia on a two-state solution. Abbas was also due to meet UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Monday to discuss Palestinian leadership reforms. Palestine holds observer status at the UN, allowing it to speak but not vote.
Under a 1947 UN agreement, the US is generally required to allow access for foreign diplomats to UN headquarters, but can deny visas for security, extremism, or foreign policy reasons. There are concerns the US may also restrict diplomats from Brazil, Iran, Sudan, and Zimbabwe. Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a Trump target, traditionally speaks first at the General Assembly.
