The ministers condemned “Israel’s decision to ban the delegation’s visit to Ramallah (on Sunday) to meet with the president of the State of Palestine, Mahmud Abbas”, the Jordanian foreign ministry said.
Israel had announced late Friday that it would not cooperate, effectively blocking the visit as it controls the territory's borders and airspace.
“Such a state would undoubtedly become a terrorist state in the heart of the Land of Israel. Israel will not cooperate with such moves aimed at harming it and its security.”
Had the visit gone ahead, the delegation's head, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, would have become the first Saudi foreign minister to visit the West Bank.
Israel this week announced the creation of 22 new Jewish settlements in the West Bank, considered illegal under international law and one of the main obstacles to a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Taking aim at foreign countries that would “recognise a Palestinian state on paper”, he added: “The paper will be thrown into the trash bin of history, and the State of Israel will flourish and prosper.”
Saudi Arabia was said to have been close to recognising Israel before the start of the Gaza war, and US President Donald Trump, during a recent visit to Riyadh, called normalisation between the countries “my fervent hope and wish”.
Firas Maksad, managing director for the Middle East and North Africa at Eurasia Group, said Israel’s rejection of the visit indicated “how far Saudi and Israel have moved from normalisation to diplomatic confrontation”.
He added that the planned visit “underscores just how much the Saudi position has shifted away from creating a credible pathway towards a Palestinian state through conditional normalisation with Israel, to one that aims to create such a path via an international coalition in support of Palestinian aspirations”.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Arab ministers condemn Israel 'ban' on planned West Bank visit )
Also on site :