US plans to bar Mahmoud Abbas from attending UN General Assembly for second year

Abbas has sought Turkey’s assistance in an effort to persuade Washington to reverse the planned decision.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The United States is planning to deny Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and members of the Palestinian delegation visas to travel to New York for next month’s United Nations General Assembly, repeating a restriction that prevented Abbas from attending the gathering in person last year, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Washington’s planned move would prevent Abbas from delivering his address at UN headquarters in person.

Despite being barred from traveling to New York for the 2025 General Assembly, Abbas addressed the gathering by video.

US and Israeli officials have cited the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization’s campaign for unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood and what they describe as a failure to adequately repudiate terrorism in connection with restrictions on Palestinian officials.

The United States has also imposed broader restrictions on visa processing for Palestinian passport holders.

One person with knowledge of the latest developments told The Jerusalem Post that Abbas has sought Turkey’s assistance in an effort to persuade Washington to reverse the planned decision.

The expected denial follows a similar dispute ahead of the 2025 General Assembly.

At the time, Abbas’ office condemned the US decision, calling it an “astonishing” violation of international law and the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement.

That agreement requires the United States, as the UN’s host country, to permit access to foreign diplomats invited to participate in UN proceedings.

Palestinian officials argued last year that preventing Abbas from traveling to New York violated those obligations.

Israel welcomed the 2025 US decision to bar Abbas from attending the General Assembly in person.

The latest planned restriction comes as the Palestinian Authority continues its diplomatic campaign for international recognition of Palestinian statehood.

US and Israeli officials have opposed efforts to obtain such recognition unilaterally rather than through an agreement.

Abbas has nevertheless retained the ability to address the General Assembly remotely when prevented from traveling to New York, as he did following last year’s visa denial.