The blocked visit, backed by Saudi Arabia and other Arab states, was intended to signal strong regional support for Palestinian statehood.
Israel has blocked a high-profile delegation of Arab foreign ministers, led by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, from visiting the occupied West Bank, Israeli media reported.
A senior Israeli official reportedly confirmed to The Times of Israel on Friday that the delegation, comprising officials from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkiye, Egypt, and Jordan, was scheduled to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Sunday.
According to the official, the Palestinian Authority aimed to use the visit to “promote the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
“Israel will not cooperate with moves designed to harm it and its security,” the official said, claiming that a future Palestinian state would become “a terrorist state in the heart of the Land of Israel.”
Although the delegation had no plans to enter areas under full Israeli occupation, Israel’s control over the West Bank’s borders made its approval essential for the visit to proceed. The ministers were expected to travel to Ramallah by helicopter from Jordan.
This visit would have marked the first of its kind since Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967. Sources indicated it was intended to reinforce support for Palestinian statehood and signal Arab solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
The decision to block the visit was reportedly made during a ministerial meeting chaired by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The move is likely to escalate tensions between Israel and regional Arab powers, particularly as the war on Gaza enters its 20th month.
According to the US-based news website Axios, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally backed the initiative as a gesture of support for the embattled Palestinian Authority. The decision to bar the visit may hinder ongoing efforts to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, the report said.
While some Israeli officials maintain that normalization is still achievable, Saudi leaders have repeatedly stated that any agreement depends on meaningful progress toward Palestinian statehood.
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International Fallout Grows
The entry ban comes amid growing international isolation for Israel over its ongoing genocide in Gaza, as well as its escalating aggression in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. The European Union has announced a review of trade ties, and the United Kingdom has paused talks on expanding its trade agreement with Israel. Both Germany and France have warned of potential diplomatic consequences due to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Even US President Donald Trump recently criticized the blockade, urging a swift end to the war and noting that “Palestinians there are starving,” following a minor easing of restrictions.
Earlier this week, the UAE summoned the Israeli ambassador in Abu Dhabi to protest a far-right rally in Jerusalem, which was allowed to proceed despite open calls for extreme violence against Palestinians.
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Next month, Saudi Arabia and France are scheduled to co-host a UN conference aimed at reviving the two-state solution. France is considering formal recognition of a Palestinian state, and Riyadh hopes other countries will follow.
In response, Israel has announced plans to expand illegal settlements in the West Bank—moves observers say are intended to obstruct any momentum toward a Palestinian state and to further entrench Israeli control over occupied Palestinian land.
(PC, Al Mayadeen)
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Zionist scumbags denying their puppets entry to the west bank. This should be the title.