We have developed and launched a new policy in the United States. It denies and revokes visas for members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA). This change would bring the Trump administration even further in line with Israel’s right-wing government. That government is implacably opposed to even the idea of a Palestinian state. The new directive further illustrates the kinds of unsupported claims routinely made by Israeli officials. This new installation deepens the already fraught relationship between the U.S., Israel, and Palestinian leadership.
The PA, established nearly 20 years after a historic 1988 gathering in Geneva where PLO leader Yasser Arafat addressed the United Nations, currently exercises limited authority in the occupied West Bank. Israeli officials have often drawn parallels between the PA and its Islamist rival, Hamas, suggesting that both entities lack credibility as partners for peace.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar was effusive in thanking the Trump administration. He stated,
“Thank you for this bold step and for standing by Israel once again.”
In announcing the visa restrictions, the U.S. State Department laid out the justification للأعمال المزعزعة للاستقرار. Most importantly, they are insisting that the PLO and PA be held accountable for their words and actions. The department stated,
“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.”
Moreover, they stipulated that the PA needs to overtly oppose terrorism in order to be deemed a legitimate party to peace talks. This includes unequivocally denouncing violent acts like the attack that happened on October 7.
Mahmoud Abbas, president of the PA, is preparing to head to New York. He plans on doing so from the United Nations General Assembly. It is still unclear if Abbas himself is subject to the new visa bans. The PA is currently seeking clarification on what these changes entail and how they will impact their representation at the UN.
PA Ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, described his profound alarm at the fate. He suggested that they are currently getting information on how the U.S. measure will affect them. Arab powers and European nations are calling for the Palestinian Authority to assume control over Gaza’s governance. They think this is necessary if a comprehensive and lasting resolution to the conflict is achieved. Yet, Israel’s government has firmly ruled out any PA role in Gaza’s future.
The PLO/PA has issued a powerful warning to discontinue any and all attempts at unilateral recognition of what the PA itself calls a “hypothetical Palestinian state.” They think this approach is harmful. Despite being championed by the World Bank, USAID and other international stakeholders, they have long faced criticism for their governance and reform demands.
The current escalation of violence gripping Gaza only adds to this toxic tableau. Recently, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee announced,
“We have begun preliminary operations and the initial stages of the attack on Gaza City, and we are currently operating with great force on the outskirts of the city.”
Even as violence spirals out of control, UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric referred to a “hunger for resolution” beneath the surface of these battlegrounds, saying that
“We obviously hope that this will be resolved.”