US plans to block Abbas from UN address for second consecutive year: Hebrew media

The Trump administration intends to prevent Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas from traveling to New York next month to address the United Nations General Assembly, according to Hebrew media reports citing US officials.

This would mark the second consecutive year of such a restriction.

The move continues a policy first implemented in 2025, when Washington denied visas to Abbas and roughly 80 other Palestinian officials.

Last year, the US justified the ban by claiming the Palestinian Authority was taking steps that undermine prospects for peace, including efforts toward unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.

The decision was widely viewed as an attempt to undercut a France- and Saudi Arabia-hosted conference promoting a two-state solution, which the administration labeled a reward to Hamas that hindered efforts to end the Gaza war.

No comparable conference is planned for this year’s high-level week, yet officials say the United States will uphold the precedent it set.

Abbas has sought to reverse the decision.

During a visit to Ankara last week, he asked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to intercede with Trump, whom the Turkish leader has called a “good friend.”

Erdogan held a phone call with the US president on Tuesday, but a US official’s subsequent confirmation that the ban remains in place indicated the appeal did not succeed.

A Palestinian official cited by Hebrew media that Erdogan had allegedly heeded the request.

A UN official expressed hope that the United States would honor its obligations as host country and allow the travel of delegation heads intending to address the General Assembly.

Abbas is currently scheduled to speak on the morning of September 24.

Last year, after the visa denial, the General Assembly passed a special resolution enabling him to deliver his remarks by video link; a similar procedural step would likely be required again if the restriction holds.

The repeated exclusion raises questions about consistency with the UN Headquarters Agreement, which generally requires the host nation to facilitate access for officials regardless of bilateral relations.

Critics note that while the administration has maintained visas for permanent staff at the Palestinian UN observer mission, barring the PA president from the podium risks further isolating the West Bank leadership at a time when Washington has engaged other regional actors on Gaza issues.

Palestinian officials have previously described such measures as a violation of international law and a contradiction of the Headquarters Agreement, especially given Palestine’s status as a UN permanent observer.