The Media Line: Visa Fight Casts Shadow Over UN 2-State Conference 

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Visa Fight Casts Shadow Over UN 2-State Conference 

Critics cite the UN Headquarters Agreement as Washington defends security-based visa limits that could curb Palestinian attendance 

By Giorgia Valente / The Media Line 

France and Saudi Arabia will reconvene a United Nations–backed conference on the two-state track in New York on September 22, even as a new US visa policy limits attendance by Palestinian officials. The United States has suspended most visas for holders of Palestinian Authority (PA) passports—including President Mahmoud Abbas—complicating logistics weeks before the meeting opens. 

Set for September 22 and co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, the conference is structured around four tracks: reform of the PA, release of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, reconstruction of the enclave, and a political framework for an eventual two-state arrangement. Supporters say the format restores a diplomatic lane after months of war, while Israel and the US caution that unilateral steps such as recognition of Palestine could hinder—rather than advance—negotiations. 

At the center of the attendance fight is the US role as UN host. Critics argue the policy conflicts with the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement, which says US federal, state, or local authorities “shall not impose any impediments to transit to or from the headquarters district” for representatives traveling to UN business (Article IV, Section 11).  The State Department, for its part, says the decision rests on security grounds. Separately, US rules provide for C-2 transit visas tied specifically to UN travel; it was not immediately clear which visa categories are affected by the current suspension. 

Jeremy Issacharoff, Israel’s former ambassador to Germany and former deputy director general of the Foreign Ministry, warned that recent US steps could undercut diplomacy instead of reinforcing it. “Freezing Palestinian passports, even for Abbas, sends a signal that may delegitimize the PA just when it should be strengthened. If America is seen as siding unconditionally with Israel, it risks jeopardizing diplomacy by leaving no credible Palestinian partner in the eyes of their own people. This could favor political stances and hardliners instead of encouraging dialogue,” he said to The Media Line. 

Recognition moves at the UN raise a second concern for Issacharoff. “It’s going to strengthen right-wing ministers in the Israeli government who will push: if there is recognition of a Palestinian state, then we need to annex the West Bank territories. I am against that. … It is not appropriate to move in that direction while you are trying to have a political process,” he added. 

Washington’s overall approach has lacked clarity, Issacharoff argued. “There has been a back and forth with the United States—let’s find a deal, let’s not find a deal—giving the green light to Israel to continue the war, then pressuring for an end of the conflict as soon as possible. It’s confusing. The US must weigh everything they do against whether it contributes to three things: ending the war, freeing the hostages, and opening a political process between the two sides,” he explained. 

Hostages remain his inflection point. “My basic starting point is that this war should end, and everything must be done to release the 48 remaining hostages. … We are not in a post-trauma situation; we are still living it. … The release of the hostages would be the major game changer. Without it, nothing else moves forward,” he expressed.  

Issacharoff believes Hamas cannot be engaged politically, and that the PA—despite its flaws—remains the only viable option. 

“The best way to defeat Hamas is to create an alternative to it, and to create a political dialogue with a responsible Palestinian Authority. … If there is no political solution between Israel and the Palestinians, then Hamas has ultimately achieved what it wanted,” he added. 

From the Palestinian side, the US visa freeze is described as both politically damaging and legally unjustified. Osama Kawasmi, a member of Fatah’s Revolutionary Council and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Political Committee, said the measure undermines Palestinian participation at the UN. “The decision to deny access to the United States and freeze visas was … against international law. As a UN observer, we have the right to attend, participate and speak. … The PLO and President Abbas are fully committed to international law and the two-state solution,” Kawasmi said to The Media Line. 

Coordination with Arab and European capitals is ongoing ahead of the meeting, Kawasmi said. “We highly appreciate the efforts exerted by Saudi Arabia, … the Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey … and we are in continuous contact with them, as well as with France, on a daily basis. We are one team with one goal only: the recognition of a Palestinian state on the 1967 lines,” he noted. 

Exclusion of the PA from New York, he argued, will not mute Palestinian positions internationally. “Maybe the American administration thinks this is the way to prevent our voice from reaching the world. But this is not correct at all and shows only a biased approach. The Palestinian cause is in every single home because of what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank. If we are absent physically, our allies will still carry our voice,” he added. 

Recognition counts form part of his leverage case. As of early September 2025, about 147 of 193 UN member states recognize Palestine, according to tallies reported by major outlets. “One hundred and forty-nine countries already recognize Palestine. France, Britain, Spain and Scandinavian states will now encourage others. This will put pressure on the United States in the future and we are hopeful in that sense. Even American public opinion is changing—recent polls show a majority supporting recognition. Israel cannot remain forever above international law,” he pointed out. 

He cited statements by Israeli ministers to argue urgency. “Smotrich says openly from the river to the sea, only for Jews. Ben Gvir says the same. Netanyahu encourages it. They want to expel Palestinians, strangle our economy, and support settlers who attack us daily. But this will not succeed. All settlements are illegal, and one day Israel will withdraw from this land,” he added. 

Practical hurdles remain, Kawasmi acknowledged, especially regarding Gaza. “Despite the importance of international recognition both on the economical and legal side, the creation of a Palestinian state on the practical level will be challenging. Gaza is destroyed, settlements are expanding, and Netanyahu says the PA will never control Gaza in the day after. But Gaza and the West Bank must be reunited under the Palestinian Authority. This is the only normal and legal path,” he said. 

Sequencing, in his view, is essential: “The first step is to end the Israeli aggression in Gaza. Then humanitarian aid must enter without control—the people are starving, living in tents, without schools. Then the PA will be backed with Arab and international support. Finally, we need a new political path. Without it, we will keep repeating the same circle of war and bloodshed.” 

Issacharoff also stressed the psychological toll on both societies. “Let’s face it, when I speak to Israelis about the two-state solution, and they see the hostage videos, it is not an easy sell. They are traumatized. The Palestinians are traumatized for what is happening in Gaza. And when you have two peoples so traumatized, rational solutions do not emerge easily. That is why the release of the hostages is the critical game changer to open a path forward and end finally this war.” 

Taken together, the positions show a wide gap ahead of September 22: Israelis who see the hostages as the unavoidable starting point and Palestinians who view international recognition as central to political dignity. Whether the UN track can narrow that distance will hinge on access arrangements for delegations, any movement on a hostages framework, and the ability of the co-chairs to keep the four tracks aligned as talks begin.