The Department of State denied visas to Palestinian leaders to attend the U.N. General Assembly in New York City next month and will revoke visas that were previously granted to those individuals.
A statement from a State Department spokesperson said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is both denying and revoking visas from individuals who belong to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) ahead of the U.N. meeting, which will be held between Sept. 9 and 28.
“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 statement reads.
The department said that before either “can be considered partners for peace, they must consistently repudiate terrorism,” and that includes the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas that left more than 1,200 people dead and more than 250 hostages being taken into Gaza.
“The PA must also end its attempts to bypass negotiations through international lawfare campaigns” such as appealing to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), along with attempts to create the recognition of a Palestinian state, the statement added.
The State Department said those actions have “materially contributed to Hamas’s refusal to release its hostages, and to the breakdown of the Gaza ceasefire talks.”
Hellbound and Down 