By Ray Hanania

The U.S. State Department and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have sanctioned the Palestinian Authority in an effort to undermine its credibility and strengthen Israel’s violent war crime policies.

The announcement by Rubio was made Thursday, July 31, 2025 in response to the PA seeking support from the International Criminal Court in the face of ongoing Israeli war crimes and mass killings in the Gaza Strip.

Rubio and the US Government have done everything possible to prevent International judicial agencies from ruling on Israel’s war crimes in the Gaza Strip or America’s support of those war crimes.

The new State Department policy is intended to provide cover to Israel’s government for its violence and war crimes in Gaza and in the Occupied West Bank territories.

Here is the anti-Arab statement issued by Ruio against the Palestinian Authority, which critics assert was actually written by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:

“The State Department has reported to Congress that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Palestinian Authority (PA) are not in compliance with their commitments under the PLO Commitments Compliance Act of 1989 (PLOCCA) and the Middle East Peace Commitments Act of 2002 (MEPCA), including by initiating and supporting actions at international organizations that undermine and contradict prior commitments in support of Security Council Resolution 242 and 338, taking actions to internationalize its conflict with Israel such as through the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ), continuing to support terrorism including incitement and glorification of violence (especially in textbooks), and providing payments and benefits in support of terrorism to Palestinian terrorists and their families.

“The United States is imposing sanctions that deny visas to PLO members and PA officials in accordance with section 604(a)(1) of the MEPCA.  It is in our national security interests to impose consequences and hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments and undermining the prospects for peace.”