Trump Administration Protects United Nations From Foreign Participants
The Trump administration solved a persistent problem in international diplomacy Wednesday by denying visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other Palestinian officials, shielding the United Nations General Assembly from the disruptive presence of people representing nations. The State Department said the restrictions were necessary because Palestinian leaders had attempted to “internationalize” political disputes, an activity officials described as incompatible with the United Nations’ modern role as a secure storage facility for flags, prepared statements and unresolved objections.
Abbas will address the gathering by video after the General Assembly approved remote participation, allowing delegates to hear the Palestinian position without risking direct exposure to a Palestinian. President Donald Trump praised the arrangement as a breakthrough in conflict resolution. “Nobody has done more for diplomacy than me, and the best diplomacy is when only the people we agree with are allowed into the room,” Trump said. “Then everybody agrees. It’s beautiful, very peaceful, no arguments, and frankly the United Nations should thank me.” Officials noted that videoconferencing preserves the ceremonial appearance of dialogue while ensuring no unwanted diplomacy occurs in person.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio presented the policy as an essential defense against unauthorized foreign viewpoints entering New York through microphones, translation headsets and dangerously multilateral seating arrangements. Palestinian diplomats already stationed at the United Nations may continue working, administration officials said, proving Washington has not silenced Palestinians so much as carefully determined which Palestinians may speak, where they may stand and whether senior Palestinian officials are permitted to enter the country hosting the meeting.
The White House is expected to offer the “international assembly without international people” model to other institutions seeking the efficiencies of global cooperation without the inconvenience of foreign disagreement. Under a proposed expansion, disfavored delegates could submit remarks through an online customer-service portal, select “Other” from a menu of grievances and receive a standardized acknowledgment after several changes of government. Administration officials called the visa restrictions a triumph of American hospitality and confirmed that the entire world remains welcome to gather in the United States, provided it remains outside.
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