Rubio blocks Palestinian leaders from the United Nations General Assembly for the first time

Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected the visas of Palestinian leaders to attend the United Nations General Assembly next month, citing the long -standing American law which prohibits recognition of the Palestinian State and sanctions the Palestinian authority for so -called “salary” payments to the terrorists.

According to internal documents examined by Fox News, Rubio signed recommendations that would block visas for senior officials from the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), including the president of AP Mahmoud Abbas.

“In accordance with the laws and interests of national security in the United States, Secretary of State Marco Rubio denies and reveals the visas of the members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) before the next United Nations General Assembly,” the spokesman for the State Department, Tommy Pigott, said on Friday.

“Before being able to be taken seriously as a partners for peace, AP and OLP must repudiate terrorism, the CPI and ICJ legislation campaigns, and the continuation of the unilateral recognition of the State. The mission of the AP to the UN will receive derogations by the agreement of the UN seat.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio has recommended that Palestinian leaders will be denied visas to attend the United Nations General Assembly next month, invoking a long -standing American law which prohibits recognition of the Palestinian State and sanctions the Palestinian authority to “pay payments” to terrorists. (Getty Images / Kevin Dietsch)

This decision prevents Palestinian leaders from contacting the UN annual rally in New York next month, a step they have frequently used to advance the unilateral recognition of the State.

The decision stems from the conclusions under the law on the compliance of the commitments of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLOCCA) and the Middle East the Peace Commitments (MEPCA), which determined that the AP and the OLP were without compliance with American commitments by “unilaterally declaring the Palestinian State; glorifying violence; material support for terrorists “. Sanctions require automatic refusal of visas for at least 180 days.

While the United States has previously denied visas on a case -by -case basis – including for members of the Iranian delegation – officials recognized in documents that Washington has never prevented a complete delegation from participating in the United Nations General Assembly. Internal directives maintains that the unprecedented measure is justified because Palestinian leaders plan to use the September forum to push a “constitutional declaration” of independence, a decision of the United States as a major propaganda victory for Hamas and a threat of ceasefire in Gaza.

The recommendations call to reject the visa requests from Palestinian officials, to refuse a waiver of Abbas himself and to revoke visas issued before July 31 for the members of the PLO and the AP. However, directives are an exception: permanent staff and persons with the mission of the United Nations Palestinian Observer would be authorized to remain under the US obligations towards the agreement of the United Nations headquarters.

US officials have written that the granting of derogations “would undermine the credibility” of existing sanctions and would embrace the AD to continue the efforts of unilateral recognition. On the other hand, the application of visa prohibitions has been described as a “low -cost and high impact action” to strengthen American policy.

They sanction officials of the Palestinian Authority after rejecting the global push to give it control of Gaza

According to internal documents examined by Fox News, Rubio signed recommendations that would block visas for senior officials from the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), including the president of AP Mahmoud Abbas. (AP photo / AMR Nabil)

Since 2012, Palestinian representatives have organized a non -member observer status at the UN, an appointment that allows them to participate in the debates but not to vote. While the United States has engaged under the United Nations Agreement of the Headquarters so as not to hinder trips to the official United Nations affairs, documents argue that the use by the AP of the General Assembly to advance state recognition does not take up routine mission work and poses a direct challenge for American national interests.

Rubio’s decision marks a historic gap in the American practice of adapting to the participation of the UN, setting up a probable confrontation with international bodies and American allies who continue to recognize Palestinian representatives.

While the United States has previously denied visas on a case -by -case basis – including for members of the Iranian delegation – officials recognized in documents that Washington has never prevented a complete delegation from participating in the United Nations General Assembly. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images)

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This decision follows decades of friction between Washington and the United Nations on the problems linked to Israel, especially after the attack on Hamas on October 7, 2023.

The United States has used its dozens of security council veto to block critical resolutions with regard to Israel – more than any other permanent member used its veto for a single ally.