The Palestinian Authority has withdrawn its candidate for the vice-presidency of the UN General Assembly after the Trump administration threatened to revoke the visas of its diplomatic mission in New York. The decision, confirmed by UN officials, sees Lebanon’s ambassador take the post instead.

The threat, conveyed in a State Department cable seen by Reuters, instructed US diplomats in Jerusalem to inform the Palestinian leadership that Riyad Mansour’s candidacy risked undermining the president’s Gaza peace plan. Officials in Washington described the move as a measure to reduce tensions, but viewed from Ramallah it represented a continuation of the White House’s campaign to squeeze the Palestinian Authority’s diplomatic manoeuvring. Earlier this year, under joint US-Israeli pressure, Mansour had already withdrawn his bid for the presidency of the General Assembly.

Palestinian sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the authority had reluctantly bowed to the ultimatum after weighing the risk of losing access to the UN entirely. The delegation has signalled it will not put forward a candidate for the next two years – effectively until after President Trump’s term ends. Analysts in London note that this self-imposed pause reflects a calculation by the Palestinian leadership that a more favourable diplomatic environment may emerge under a new administration, but also underscores how far its influence at the UN has eroded.

The episode highlights the growing asymmetry between the two sides at the UN, where the Palestinian Authority has long sought multilateral recognition as a state. With each successive setback – from the closure of its diplomatic mission in Washington to the stripping of its UN privileges – the authority’s ability to advance its narrative on the world stage has diminished. Whether a change in US leadership would restore those avenues remains uncertain, but the authority’s two-year wait suggests a strategic gamble that the Trump era is not indefinite.