An Israeli official said Saturday that Israel will not allow a planned meeting to be held in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, after media reported that several Arab foreign ministers who had planned to attend were barred from attending.
Palestinian Authority officials said the Arab foreign ministers' delegation includes ministers from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, noting that whether the meeting will be held in Ramallah is under discussion.
Ministers need Israeli approval to travel to the West Bank from Jordan.
CNN quoted a Palestinian Authority official as saying that Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan was to lead an Arab delegation to meet with Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday, in what would have been the first visit at this level by a Saudi delegation since Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967.
An Israeli official said that the Arab ministers intend to participate in a "provocative meeting to promote the establishment of a Palestinian state."
He added, "Such a state will 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."
These statements come as Israel has vowed to establish a "Jewish Israeli state" in the West Bank after doubling down on its plans to expand settlements.
It also comes ahead of an international conference scheduled to be held in New York from June 17 to 20, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, to discuss the issue of establishing a Palestinian state. Israel is under increasing pressure from the United Nations and European countries that support the two-state solution, under which an independent Palestinian state is established alongside Israel.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that recognizing a Palestinian state is not just a "moral duty, but a political necessity."
It's worth noting that Israel fired live ammunition at a diplomatic delegation of foreign and Arab ambassadors about 10 days ago while attempting to visit the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank to see the tragic reality there.
