Palestine in the General Assembly: A shot for peace?
Matthew Gerken
Staff Writer
Since its inception, Palestine and its governing authority have repeatedly been denied full-member recognition from the United Nations General Assembly. This denial of statehood has greatly impacted Palestine’s representation as a sovereign state and paved the way for repeated Israeli expansions. On August 29, 2025, Palestine received yet another denial, when United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a block on the issuing of visas to Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) leaders, including their President Mahmoud Abbas. It is becoming increasingly clear the flaws in this decision, as well as the potential harm to U.S. soft power.
Secretary Rubio’s actions were in accordance with legal and national security interests of the United States, and he stated in a State Department press release, “It is in our national security interests to hold the P.L.O. and P.A. accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace.” These actions would be reversed under the conditions that “the P.A. and P.L.O. must repudiate terrorism, lawfare campaigns at the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice, and the pursuit of unilateral recognition of statehood”, according to Fox News. While Secretary Rubio has a right to be concerned about the safety of the U.S., it is irrational and wrong for the State Department to deny a voice to Palestine simply for pursuing legal avenues for its recognition. While Secretary Rubio has a right to be concerned about the safety of the U.S., it is irrational and wrong for the State Department to deny a voice to Palestine simply for pursuing legal avenues for its recognition.
These actions have been rightly condemned by France and Ireland, who responded saying “the E.U. should protest the decision in the strongest possible terms,” as reported from CBC News and the BBC News. The U.S. has taken the wrong direction in addressing the topic of Palestinian statehood, as they attempt to draw closer to their ally, Israel. The criticism from the United Kingdom, France, and other European Union nations is growing, as many U.S. allies are looking to sanction Israel over its violations of international law. The U.S. is avoiding rational discussion with its allies, which is harmful for the future of U.S. interactions at the United Nations. Not only is the U.S. vetoing Palestinian statehood, but it is refusing to acknowledge any Palestinian leadership. When the Israeli-Palestinian conflict eventually simmers down, all the U.S. will have to show for it is a loss of key allies and no substantial gain in geopolitical affairs.
This new form of isolation for the sake of U.S.-Israeli relations only paints the U.S. in a negative light and is undoubtedly one of the worst political moves of this century. By destroying any chance of possible statehood discussions because of this block, Palestine will only continue to suffer under Israeli occupation, where famine is already starting to show its face, as told by the World Food Program. The Trump Administration’s continued denial of basic communications has reached its peak with the blockage of visas to Palestinian leaders, and it is unlikely that this current administration will deescalate by September, when a vote in New York is to be held on recognizing Palestine as an independent state. Often when analyzing foreign policy, Americans tend to observe whether a policy positively or negatively affects their standing on the world stage. Undoubtably, Rubio’s policy on the visa ban has no positive effect for American citizens and has even demonstrated the destructive impact that allying with Israel has to offer. On the contrary, allowing for Palestinian representation can greatly improve the United States’ reputation and reestablish itself as the leading advocate for world peace.
As the next United Nations General Assembly nears closer, the U.S. still has the potential to fix their error. According to Reuters, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said “the U.N. would discuss the visa issue with the State department.” This potential for cooperation could be the necessary steps it takes for the U.S. to rightly allow Palestinian voices to be heard on September 9 at the General Assembly. Al Jazeera reports that on September 22, P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas had planned a talk on Palestine and is unaware if this regretful action will disrupt his planned visit. With any hope, the Department of State and the Trump Administration will see reason and even if they are opposed to Palestinian statehood, that they respect the voice of another nation. If the U.S. corrects its path and stops the blockage of Palestinian visas, then global order can resume, and we can return to strong relations with our allies.
Image courtesy of Getty Images.