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U.S. Announces Visa Restrictions for PLO Members, Palestinian Authority Officials After Biannual Review
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Summary
A State Department spokesperson said a biannual review found the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority out of compliance, and the United States will deny visas to PLO members and PA officials while allowing case-by-case waivers.
Lede: The State Department announced on its podium that the United States will deny visas to members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and officials of the Palestinian Authority (PA) after a biannual compliance review, a spokesperson said.
Nut graf: The action follows a review period that ended in January 2025 and is the first such report under the current administration; the department said the measure is one of several policy options available under U.S. law and that waivers may be considered on a case-by-case basis consistent with U.S. national security interests.
Body: "This is a biannual review that happens twice a year in every single year," State Department spokesperson Tommy said, describing the timing and process that produced the report. He said the review covered the period ending in January 2025 and that the report concluded the PLO and PA were not in compliance with statutory commitments cited in the review.
Tommy told reporters the specific action being implemented is a visa denial for PLO members and PA officials. "These sanctions won't post denial of visas for PLO members and PA officials. And again, to stress, a waiver may be considered on a case by case basis consistent with our national security interests," he said.
When pressed about whether the administration would name individuals or the number or level of officials affected, Tommy said the policy provides for case-by-case consideration and declined to list names or numbers from the podium. He also declined to speculate about private diplomatic consultations with Arab states or about how the action might affect bilateral engagement beyond saying the department will consider waivers as allowed by the report.
Reporter questions at the briefing linked the timing of the announcement to recent international diplomatic moves and asked whether the action was retaliatory for other countries recognizing Palestinian statehood; Tommy said the visa restrictions derive from the biannual compliance finding and are not framed as retaliation for any other country's actions.
Ending: The department provided a media note and the biannual report to Congress; the spokesperson said further details and any individual case determinations could be handled through the waiver process described in the report.
