The State Department has reportedly suspended visa approvals for nearly all Palestinians, according to a message obtained by CNN.
The message, dated August 18, told embassies to refuse non-immigrant visas to “all otherwise eligible Palestinian Authority passport holders” using the passport to apply for the visa. According to the message, the State Department sought to ensure that “such applications have undergone necessary vetting and screening protocols to ensure the applicant’s identity and eligibility for a visa under U.S. law.”
“This guidance does include visa applicants for diplomatic or official type visas and for individuals engaging in diplomatic and official travel purposes applying with Palestinian Authority passports,” the message read. “While the Department has determined that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is a competent authority for passport issuing purposes … the United States does NOT recognize the PA as a ‘foreign government.’”
A State Department spokesperson said that the Trump administration is “taking concrete steps in compliance with U.S. law and our national security in regards to announced visa restrictions and revocations for PA passport holders,” adding that a visa decision is a “national security decision, and the State Department is vetting and adjudicating visa decisions for PA passport holders accordingly.”
Ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, the State Department denied and revoked visas from members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA). “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,” the department said on August 29.
