US revokes visas of Palestinian officials to address annual United Nations meeting

In a bid to "not reward terrorism," the Trump Administration said on Friday it is revoking the visas of officials from the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and the govering party in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Authority (PA), to prevent them from traveling to the United Nations for the general assembly meeting next month.

It is precisely at that meeting that the UK, France, Germany and others plan to recognise a Palestinian state, to try and move toward a political resolution in the region. 

The unprecedented move flies in the face of the agreement between the US and UN, which stipulates that all heads of state are to be allowed to address the international forum in New York every September.

"The Trump Administration has been clear: it is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace," the State Department said in a statement, per orders given by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
 
"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 US law and as promised by the PLO," the statement continued.

" 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 Trump administration said.

"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".
  
The PA's Mission to the UN, which is already in New York, will receive waivers per the UN Headquarters Agreement, the US noted.