Israel has refused to cooperate with the Ramallah meeting planned by Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE ministers.The foreign ministers of five Arab countries who had planned to visit the occupied West Bank this weekend have condemned Israel’s decision to block their plans.
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 in a statement on Saturday.
Ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were expected to take part in the meeting alongside Turkiye.
Israel late on Friday said it will not allow the meeting of Arab foreign ministers, who would have required Israeli consent to travel to the occupied West Bank from Jordan because Israel controls the Palestinian territory’s borders and airspace.
“The Palestinian Authority – which to this day refuses to condemn the October 7 massacre – 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,” the Israeli official said late on Friday. Advertisement
“Israel will not cooperate with such moves aimed at harming it and its security.”
The Israeli move came ahead of an international conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, due to be held in New York on June 17-20 to discuss the issue of Palestinian statehood.
Israel has come under increasing pressure from the United Nations and European countries which favour a two-state solu …