Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
In a move likely to stir further tensions in the region, the United States on Thursday announced sanctions against officials from both the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), citing violations of key legislative commitments under U.S. law.
The U.S. State Department revealed in a report to Congress that the sanctions were imposed in response to what it described as continued non-compliance with the Palestinian Liberation Organization Commitments Compliance Act of 1989 and the Middle East Peace Commitments Act of 2002. These laws outline conditions for U.S. engagement with the PA and PLO, and violations can trigger punitive measures.
According to the report, the PLO and PA have “persisted in actions that contradict their previous commitments,” including international legal efforts to challenge Israel’s policies. The State Department cited recent Palestinian appeals to the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice as examples of what it views as an attempt to “internationalize the conflict” in a way that undermines direct negotiations.
The report further accuses the Palestinian leadership of violating UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 long considered the basis for any negotiated peace settlement and alleges that the PA continues to support or tolerate “terror-related activity,” including the glorification of violence in school curricula and financial support to families of individuals involved in attacks against Israelis.
“These actions represent a direct breach of longstanding commitments and erode the prospects for a lasting peace,” the State Department said in its statement.
Details of the Sanctions
As part of the sanctions package, U.S. authorities will deny entry visas to PLO and PA officials, in line with the enforcement mechanisms embedded in the two laws. The statement also leaves the door open for further penalties should the behavior persist.
“It is in our national security interest to hold entities accountable when they fail to meet their obligations and take actions that obstruct peace efforts,” the State Department emphasized.
Timing Raises Eyebrows
The announcement comes at a particularly sensitive moment. Several Western countries including Canada, France, and the United Kingdom have recently signaled their intention to recognize Palestine as an independent state, injecting new momentum into international efforts to revive the two-state solution.
Critics argue that Washington’s move could isolate the U.S. further from a shifting global consensus and deepen perceptions of American bias in favor of Israel. Human rights organizations and international legal scholars have frequently defended the Palestinian recourse to international courts as a legitimate tool in the absence of meaningful political negotiations.
Regional and Political Implications
The Palestinian leadership has yet to issue an official response, but the sanctions are expected to draw sharp criticism from Ramallah, where officials have consistently rejected the Trump-era narrative that characterizes financial support to prisoners’ families as promoting violence.
Analysts suggest that this latest action could complicate future diplomatic engagement between Washington and the Palestinian leadership, particularly as global attention refocuses on Gaza, where the humanitarian crisis continues to escalate amid the ongoing Israeli military campaign.
As international calls for a viable Palestinian state grow louder, the U.S. decision to penalize Palestinian officials for legal and diplomatic maneuvers underscores the deepening divide between Washington and many of its allies on how best to achieve peace in the Middle East.
