Rubio Draws the Line: U.S. Blocks Palestinian Leaders from Entering America for U.N. Assembly

August 30, 2025 — Washington, D.C.

In a bold move that underscores a long-overdue shift in American foreign policy, the State Department announced today that the Biden administration—under Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s leadership—has denied and revoked visas for Palestinian leaders tied to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA), effectively barring them from attending next month’s United Nations General Assembly in New York City.

A State Department spokesperson confirmed that the decision was made in the interest of national security and holding Palestinian leadership accountable for decades of double-dealing, anti-Israel incitement, and open flirtations with terrorism.

“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 statement read.

The move comes nearly two years after the October 7, 2023 massacre, when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, slaughtering over 1,200 innocents—including women, children, and elderly—and kidnapped more than 250 hostages into Gaza. The Biden State Department made clear that Palestinian officials have failed to repudiate that horrific attack and have instead continued their campaign to delegitimize Israel through the International Criminal Court (ICC), the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and global recognition schemes designed to bypass direct negotiations.

“Before either the PLO or the PA can be considered partners for peace, they must consistently repudiate terrorism,” the statement added, noting that their “lawfare” strategy at the ICC and ICJ has prolonged Hamas’s refusal to release hostages and sabotaged ceasefire talks in Gaza.

For decades, American taxpayers have been forced to bankroll a Palestinian leadership that speaks of peace in English at the U.N. while glorifying terrorists in Arabic back home. Rubio’s State Department is making clear that those days are over.

Critics of the decision—including the usual chorus of globalist diplomats and left-wing academics—are already calling the move “provocative.” But for conservatives, this is exactly the kind of America First diplomacy that puts U.S. and Israeli security ahead of appeasing terror sympathizers.

The United Nations has long been a hostile playground for anti-Israel rhetoric, with Palestinian leaders routinely granted a platform to demonize America’s closest ally in the Middle East. Rubio’s visa revocations slam the door shut on that propaganda campaign—at least on U.S. soil.

If the Palestinians want to continue their endless grievances, they’ll have to do it elsewhere. For once, the U.N. General Assembly won’t be used as a stage for lies and incitement against Israel inside America’s borders.

Secretary Rubio’s decision is more than a symbolic gesture—it is a clear rebuke of the international community’s tolerance of Palestinian duplicity and a reminder that U.S. sovereignty still matters.

At a time when Europe continues appeasing Tehran, Hamas, and their allies, America has drawn a line in the sand. No more visas for terror apologists. No more free passes for the Palestinian Authority’s anti-Israel campaigns. No more business as usual.

For Israel, this decision is a reassurance that it has a true partner in Washington once again. For Americans, it’s a sign that the days of weakness are fading, and that U.S. diplomacy is finally being wielded with strength and moral clarity.