Arab diplomats condemn Israel for barring West Bank visit
Foreign ministers from five Arab states sought to travel to Ramallah for talks on the establishment of a Palestinian state
The foreign ministers of five Arab countries who had planned to visit the occupied Palestinian West Bank this weekend condemned Israel's decision to block their plans.
The Jordanian foreign ministry issued a statement on 31 May saying 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, Mahmoud Abbas."
The Israeli army controls all borders and entry points to the occupied West Bank, including from neighboring Jordan, making entry to and exit from the Palestinian territories contingent on Israeli authorities.
Ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE had been expected to enter the West Bank to take part in a meeting with Palestinian Authority (PA) officials concerning the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Earlier on Saturday, Israeli officials said they would not allow a planned meeting in the Palestinian administrative capital of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, to go ahead.
The announcement came after media reports that Arab ministers planning to attend had been stopped from coming.
An Israeli official claimed the ministers intended to take part in "a provocative meeting" to discuss promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state.
"Such a state would undoubtedly become a terrorist state in the heart of the land of Israel," the official said. "Israel will not cooperate with such moves aimed at harming it and its security."
Israel conquered the West Bank in 1967 and has slowly stolen more and more Palestinian land to establish Jewish settlements, which are illegal under international law.
A PA official stated that the issue of whether the meeting in Ramallah would proceed was under discussion.
The move comes ahead of an international conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, planned for June 17-20 in New York. Delegates are expected to discuss the issue of Palestinian statehood.
Israel has come under increasing pressure from the UN and European countries to agree to allow the establishment of a Palestinian state.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that recognizing a Palestinian state was not only a "moral duty but a political necessity."