The EU has urged the United States to reverse visa denials that bar Palestinian Authority officials from attending the UN General Assembly, citing Washington’s obligations as host state. The UNGA voted to allow President Mahmoud Abbas to address the 81st session via a prerecorded message. The US said it extended visa restrictions in response to PA actions it views as undermining peace, while the UN and the EU said the ban risks limiting Palestine’s full participation at the UN.
EU Urges US To Reverse Visa Ban On Palestinian Delegation Ahead Of UNGA
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during the foundation stone ceremony of the Innovation and Excellence Compound in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on September 9, 2026 [Zain Jaafar/AFP]
The European Union on Saturday expressed regret after the United States again denied visas to Palestinian Authority (PA) officials seeking to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, and urged Washington to reconsider the decision.
The EU statement followed a UNGA vote to allow Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address the assembly during its upcoming 81st session via a prerecorded statement.
"In light of its existing headquarters agreements with the UN and its obligations as host state, we urge the United States for this decision to be reconsidered,"said Anouar El Anouni, a spokesman for the EU's diplomatic service.
On Friday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced regret about the US decision and warned it could affect "the ability of the State of Palestine to participate fully in the work of the United Nations." The restriction applies for a second consecutive year.
The US State Department announced on Wednesday that it would extend visa restrictions on officials of the Palestinian Authority and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The department said the move was "a consequence of their failure to reform, contrary to their commitments to the United States, and their ongoing activities that undermine the prospects for peace."
The statement cited actions by the PA such as seeking international recognition of Palestinian statehood outside direct negotiations with Israel, taking disputes to international courts, and providing financial support to families of convicted attackers — steps the United States says contravene US law and hinder peace efforts.
Critics note that no comparable US travel restrictions have been applied to Israeli officials, despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in relation to alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Abbas's prerecorded address is expected to press for wider international recognition of Palestinian statehood and to call for renewed momentum toward a two-state solution. He will also highlight the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements and violent settler attacks across the occupied West Bank.
Palestine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomed the UN resolution permitting Abbas to speak, calling it "a breaking of the attempt to prevent Palestine's participation" in the UNGA session.
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