EU urges U.S. to reconsider visa restrictions on Palestinian delegation
The European Union expressed regret over the reported extension of restrictions ahead of the 81st U.N. General Assembly session in New York.
The EU criticized the United States for extending visa restrictions on Palestinian officials ahead of the U.N. General Assembly and urged Washington to reconsider, citing its obligations as the U.N. host country. The U.S. said the restrictions were linked to Palestinian efforts to pursue cases involving Israel through international institutions.
**Verified facts:** The European Union said it regretted the United States’ decision to extend, for a second consecutive year, visa-entry restrictions on members of a Palestinian delegation. In a statement cited from the EU foreign service, Brussels called on Washington to reconsider the decision, referring to U.S. obligations as the host country of the United Nations and to existing agreements concerning the U.N. headquarters. Reuters, citing a Palestinian official, previously reported that the United States had refused to issue an entry visa to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for the General Assembly meeting. The U.S. State Department said the restrictions were being extended over actions it characterized as efforts to “internationalize” the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including pursuing cases involving Israel before international courts and institutions.
**Interpretation:** The EU’s statement frames the visa restrictions as potentially inconsistent with the United States’ responsibilities as host of the U.N. The dispute highlights tensions between Washington’s visa policy toward Palestinian officials and the Palestinian delegation’s participation in the General Assembly.
**Uncertainty:** The evidence does not establish whether every member of the Palestinian delegation was denied a visa, or whether the reported restriction on Mahmoud Abbas was formally confirmed by the U.S. government. The supplied report also contains a chronology that is not fully clear: it refers to a statement issued on September 25 while listing a publication date of September 19, 2026. The exact timing and scope of the restrictions therefore require independent confirmation.