Arab ministers condemn Israel 'ban' on planned West Bank visit

The foreign ministers of several Arab countries, who had planned to visit the occupied West Bank this weekend, condemned on Saturday Israel's decision to block their trip.

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 Jordanian foreign ministry said.

Ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain had been expected to take part alongside the secretary-general of the Arab League, according to the statement.

Israel had announced late on Friday that it would not cooperate, effectively blocking the visit as it controls the territory's borders and airspace.

Abbas "intended to host in Ramallah a provocative meeting of foreign ministers from Arab countries to discuss the promotion of the establishment of a Palestinian state," an Israeli official said.

"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, regarded by the United Nations as illegal under international law and one of the main obstacles to a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

During a visit to one of the new settlement sites on Friday, Defence Minister Israel Katz vowed to build a "Jewish Israeli state" in the Palestinian territory.

'Diplomatic confrontation'

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."

In June, Saudi Arabia and France are to co-chair an international conference at UN headquarters meant to resurrect the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

International backlash has been growing since Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza in March, with a humanitarian crisis spiralling and the UN warning of famine throughout the territory.

Saudi Arabia is co-hosting with France a conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York aiming to revive the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

French President Emmanuel Macron previously said he could recognise a Palestinian state at that conference, drawing a sharp rebuke from Israel.

Agence France-Presse