US suspends visas for most Palestinian passport holders: Reports
The Trump administration has suspended approval for most types of visitor visas for Palestinian passport holders, according to a State Department cable reported by multiple media outlets.
The internal memo, dated Aug. 18, instructed U.S. embassies and consulates to reject nonimmigrant visas to “all otherwise eligible Palestinian Authority passport holders” who are using that passport to apply for a visa, multiple media outlets reported.
The sweeping new policy — which the State Department said was “effective immediately” — reportedly applies to visas for tourists, university students, businesspeople and individuals seeking medical treatment.
The new policy extends beyond the recently announced restrictions on visitor visas for Palestinians from Gaza. The latest policy would affect Palestinians seeking to enter the U.S. from the West Bank or the Palestinian diaspora, according to The New York Times, which was first to report on the policy shift.
In a statement to The Hill, a State Department spokesperson said, “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.”
“Every visa decision is a national security decision, and the State Department is vetting and adjudicating visa decisions for PA passport holders accordingly,” the spokesperson said, referring to the initials of the Palestinian Authority, which governs part of the West Bank.
The move also comes after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced he would be denying and revoking visas from members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority ahead of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly.
“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 State Department said in a statement Friday.