The U.S. threatens to revoke the visas of the Palestinian U.N. delegation if the ambassador does not withdraw his candidacy for vice president of the General Assembly. This pressure comes from a State Department cable instructing U.S. diplomats to act swiftly.
Key points
U.S. threatens visa revocation for Palestinian U.N. delegation
Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour is running for vice president
State Department cable instructs pressure on Palestinian officials
Consequences include possible withdrawal from U.N. activities
Mentioned in this story
Riyad MansourUnited NationsU.S. State Department
Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour pats his heart during the Kuwait Crown Prince's address at the High-Level Security Council meeting on Palestinians and Israel during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Sept. 23, 2025
Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour pats his heart during the Kuwait Crown Prince's address at the High-Level Security Council meeting on Palestinians and Israel during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Sept. 23, 2025
Angelina Katsanis/AP
Angelina Katsanis/AP
TEL AVIV — The U.S. is threatening to revoke the visas of the Palestinian delegation to the United Nations unless the Palestinian ambassador to the U.N. withdraws his run for vice president of the General Assembly.
A U.S. State Department cable issued Tuesday and obtained by NPR instructs U.S. diplomats in Jerusalem to pressure Palestinian officials this week to withdraw their bid for one of the 21 vice president roles at the U.N., or face possible consequences including visa revocation.
The May 19 U.S. cable, marked sensitive but unclassified, says Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour "has a history of accusing Israel of genocide," and that his bid "fuels tension" and undermines President Trump's peace plan for Gaza.
"A bully pulpit for Mansour would not improve the lives of Palestinians and would significantly damage U.S. relations with the PA [Palestinian Authority]. Congress will take it extremely seriously," the cable says.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' office declined comment.
"It would be unfortunate," the U.S. cable says in a threat to revoke visas
Ahead of last year's U.N. General Assembly in New York, the Trump Administration made the rare move of denying U.S. visas to top Palestinian officials including President Abbas. But the U.S. did not revoke visas for the Palestinian delegation to the U.N.
"In September 2025, the Department made the decision to waive visa sanctions and other inadmissibilities for Palestinian officials assigned to the PLO's UN Observer Mission in New York. It would be unfortunate to have to revisit any available options," the May 19 cable says.
Q&A
Why is the U.S. threatening to revoke the Palestinian ambassador's visa?
The U.S. is pressuring the Palestinian ambassador to withdraw his candidacy for vice president of the U.N. General Assembly, citing potential visa revocation as a consequence.
What are the implications of the U.S. visa threat to the Palestinian delegation?
Revoking the visas could hinder the Palestinian delegation's ability to participate in U.N. activities and diminish their diplomatic presence.
What role does the Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour play at the U.N.?
Riyad Mansour serves as the Palestinian ambassador to the U.N. and is currently running for one of the vice president roles in the General Assembly.
What does the U.S. State Department cable say regarding the Palestinian officials?
The cable instructs U.S. diplomats to pressure Palestinian officials to withdraw their bid for vice president or face consequences, including visa revocation.
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A former U.S. diplomat calls visa revocation "counterproductive"
For decades, the U.S. under both Democratic and Republican administrations has opposed Palestinian attempts to gain full membership at the U.N. and international bodies, arguing they were unilateral moves that undermined peace efforts with Israel.
But the U.S. threat to revoke Palestinian diplomats' visas at the U.N. is unprecedented.
Hady Amr, who served as a senior U.S. State Department official on Palestinian affairs under the Obama and Biden administrations, criticized the decision to threaten visa restrictions.
"Short of extreme situations like Russian espionage or election interference, using visa restrictions as you are reporting is extremely rare," Amr told NPR. "Generally, it's counterproductive because you need diplomats to work out problems between countries and by expelling diplomats, you're undermining not only their ability to solve problems, but the abilities of the United States as well."
The State Department did not immediately respond to an NPR request for comment.
The Palestinian ambassador already withdrew his presidency bid
In February, Palestinian ambassador Mansour withdrew a bid for president of the U.N. General Assembly. The U.S. had lobbied him to drop the bid, according to the U.S. cable.
Israel's ambassador to the U.N. celebrated Mansour's decision to drop the bid.
"From the outset, the very submission of the candidacy was yet another attempt to turn the UN General Assembly into a political circus against Israel and to bolster the status of the Palestinian delegation through the back door," Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said in a statement on X. "Instead, the Palestinian delegation should start focusing on stopping incitement of terrorism and on actually reforming the Palestinian Authority."
Elections for the vice president roles are on June 2. U.S. officials have been repeatedly appealing to the Palestinian delegation not to run in that race.
The Palestinian ambassador is on a list of countries in Asia and the Pacific running in the race, including Afghanistan, Iraq and Mongolia, according to La Neice Collins, spokesperson of the office of the President of the U.N. General Assembly.
The U.S. cable says the next General Assembly president could ask a Palestinian vice president to preside over high-profile U.N. sessions.
The cable called that a "worst-case scenario."
NPR's Michele Kelemen in Washington contributed to this report.
Michele Kelemen in Washington contributed to this report
