US Denies Visas for PLO and PA Officials Ahead of UN General Assembly

The United States announced on Friday that it will deny and revoke visas for members of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority ahead of next month’s United Nations General Assembly in New York, saying Palestinian leaders have undermined prospects for peace by glorifying violence, supporting terrorism, and pursuing unilateral recognition of statehood. The State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio approved the move, which officials said will prevent senior Palestinian officials, including potentially President Mahmoud Abbas, from addressing the UN gathering.

State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement that the action is being taken under longstanding U.S. law and cited specific statutes, including the Palestinian Liberation Organization Commitments Compliance Act and the Middle East Peace Commitments Act, which the department said found the PLO and PA out of compliance with their commitments. Pigott said the United States will deny visas until the Palestinian leadership ends what he called the glorification of terrorism and stops "pay to slay" payments and international legal campaigns that bypass negotiations. He...