NEW YORK — Americans for a Safe Israel, a long-standing pro-Israel advocacy organization in the United States, is calling on the United Nations to expel the Palestine Liberation Organization and revoke the standing of the so-called State of Palestine within UN bodies.
The demand follows remarks by PLO Secretary General Azzam al-Ahmed in a February 23 interview with Cairo-based Shorouk News. According to AFSI, al-Ahmed stated that “all talk of disarming Hamas and their being a terrorist organization is unacceptable to us,” and affirmed that Hamas is part of what he described as the Palestinian cause. He also said Hamas would be permitted to participate in future Palestinian Authority elections.
AFSI Chairman Moshe Phillips said the comments demonstrate that the PLO and the Palestinian Authority operate under unified leadership and policy direction.
“It’s important to understand that the PLO, Fatah, the Palestinian Authority, and the nonexistent State of Palestine are basically all the same entity,” Phillips said in a statement. “The PLO sets policy, and the PA follows it. The same leadership that rejects the disarmament of Hamas also completely controls the PA.”
Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada, the European Union, and several other countries. The group carried out the October 7, 2023, attacks in southern Israel, in which Israeli authorities say more than 1,200 people were killed and hundreds were kidnapped.
AFSI argues that by publicly rejecting calls to disarm Hamas, the PLO leadership has undermined claims that it seeks to present itself as a moderate negotiating partner.
“The PLO and Palestinian Authority are considered by far too many nations to be a legitimate polity that wants to negotiate,” Phillips said. “This falsehood has now been exposed.”
The United Nations General Assembly voted in 2012 to upgrade Palestine’s status to non member observer state. Since then, the State of Palestine has joined various UN agencies and international treaties. The UN continues to recognize the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people in certain forums.
AFSI contends that continued UN recognition effectively legitimizes leadership that it says has aligned itself with Hamas.
“Now that the PLO leadership is publicly and officially supporting Hamas, how can the UN allow them to maintain their status?” Phillips said. “A UN that does not expel both the PLO and the State of Palestine is complicit in saying Hamas should stay armed.”
The group also pointed to diplomatic developments in September 2025, when France, Britain, Australia, Canada, and Portugal formally recognized the State of Palestine. AFSI argues that those recognitions have not led to moderation within the PLO or Fatah leadership.
“Mahmoud Abbas is the leader of the PLO, Fatah, the Palestinian Authority, and the nonexistent State of Palestine,” Phillips said. “There is now no disputing that he and his leadership clearly endorse the actions Hamas carried out on October 7.”
There has been no immediate response from the United Nations to AFSI’s statement. The PLO and Palestinian Authority have not publicly commented on AFSI’s call for expulsion.
Americans for a Safe Israel was established in 1970 and describes itself as one of the oldest pro-Israel advocacy organizations in the United States. The group says its mission is to counter anti-Israel propaganda and promote policies it believes enhance Israel’s security and sovereignty, including in Judea and Samaria.
The debate over Hamas disarmament remains central to discussions about post-conflict governance in Gaza and the broader Palestinian political landscape. International actors, including the United States and European governments, have repeatedly called for the demilitarization of Hamas as part of any long-term diplomatic arrangement.
AFSI’s appeal to the UN places additional pressure on international institutions to clarify their stance regarding Palestinian political leadership and its relationship with Hamas as the conflict continues to shape regional diplomacy.
