Sanctions on Palestinian Authority officials could keep them from attending next month’s United Nations Security Council meeting. Analysts say the U.S. State Department has decided to move forward with restrictions against leaders of both the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization, citing violations of past peace agreements and links to terrorism.

The sanctions include U.S. visa bans, which may prevent PA officials from traveling to New York in September, just as several nations, including Canada and France, are expected to announce their recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN session.

International lawyer Marc Zell, Chairman of Republicans Overseas, explained the U.S. decision. He said the PLO and PA had made commitments back in 2002 as part of the peace process. But according to Washington, their recent actions at the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court, along with the content of Palestinian educational materials, amount to support for terrorism. Zell stressed, “No visas for PLO officials seeking to come to the United States.”

Among the accusations: involvement in terror activities, the promotion of violence in textbooks, and international campaigns aimed at delegitimizing Israel. U.S. officials point specifically to the Palestinian role in the ICC’s recent arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Reacting to the sanctions, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar praised the move on social media, thanking U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and calling the decision an act of “moral clarity.” Sa’ar said the Palestinian Authority must be held accountable for paying stipends to convicted terrorists and for fueling anti-Israel incitement in schools, mosques, and the media.

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Reporting by Carl Montel.