Peloni: How ironic is it that Trump is banning individuals from the PA and Syria from entering the US while requiring that Israel consider that either of these entities are capable or willing peace partners? More than ironic, I would say this is very telling. Perhaps America’s changing regard for individuals originating from these dens of terrorism entering the US will bring with it a sense of regard for Israel’s own reluctance to deem these terror enclaves as peacefully inclined.
White House highlights PA’s ‘weak or nonexistent control’ in West Bank & Gaza
Image by U.S. Department of Homeland Securityvectored by FOX 52 – File:U.S.CBP patch.png, Public Domain, Wikipedia
The White House announced on Tuesday that American passport holders from five additional countries, including Syria, as well as those holding passports issued by the Palestinian Authority (PA), will be added to an existing travel ban.
Starting Jan. 1, 2026, Palestinians, along with citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria, will not be allowed to travel to the United States.
“AMERICA FIRST SECURITY. President Donald J. Trump just signed a new Proclamation, STRENGTHENING our borders & national security with data-driven restrictions on high-risk countries with severe deficiencies in screening & vetting,” the White House announced on X.
AMERICA FIRST SECURITY ??
President Donald J. Trump just signed a new Proclamation, STRENGTHENING our borders & national security with data-driven restrictions on high-risk countries with severe deficiencies in screening & vetting. pic.twitter.com/DZmqpkerKb
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 16, 2025
The five countries join a group of 12 countries, which includes Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
President Donald Trump had announced travel bans for the 12 countries and restrictions for seven others in June, in a callback to the controversial travel bans from his first term.
According to a fact sheet released by the White House, the “restrictions and limitations imposed by the Proclamation are necessary to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose, garner cooperation from foreign governments, enforce our immigration laws, and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives.”
Regarding Palestinians, the White House explained that “several U.S.-designated terrorist groups operate actively in the West Bank or Gaza Strip and have murdered American citizens.”
“Also, the recent war in these areas likely resulted in compromised vetting and screening abilities,” the White House wrote, adding that this, along with the “weak or nonexistent control exercised over these areas by the PA,” was the reason for banning Palestinians.
The Trump administration has been pushing the PA to carry out significant reforms over the past two years, while pressuring Israel to approve the inclusion of a clause stating that once “the PA reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”
Regarding the ban on Syrians, the fact sheet noted that the country “is emerging from a protracted period of civil unrest and internal strife.”
The new government of President Ahmad al-Sharaa has been cooperating closely with the U.S.; however, an ISIS-affiliated terrorist who was a member of the government’s security forces killed three Americans last week, possibly contributing to Syria’s inclusion.
The fact sheet acknowledged, “While the country is working to address its security challenges in close coordination with the United States, Syria still lacks an adequate central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures.”
In addition to Syria and the PA, the new announcement “upgraded” Laos and Sierra Leone from partial to full restrictions, while Burundi, Cuba, Togo and Venezuela remain on the partial restriction list.
Citizens of Turkmenistan, the last of the original seven countries, will now be granted non-immigrant visas but not be allowed to immigrate.
Additional restrictions were also imposed on Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
“The Proclamation includes exceptions for lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, certain visa categories like athletes and diplomats, and individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interests.
Finally. There should be a MowHamMud cartoon the wall of every US point of entry. Anyone who objects gets a Chocolate Swirly and kicked back out of the country.