Israel to block foreign ministers delegation's West Bank visit

Israel decided to block a delegation of Middle Eastern foreign ministers led by Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat from making a landmark visit to the West Bank, a senior Israeli official confirmed to The Times of Israel on Friday.

The foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan were slated to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Sunday.

The planned visit—set for Sunday—was to include a delegation of regional foreign ministers and notably Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, who would have entered via the Allenby Bridge, controlled by Israel.

According to a CNN report cited by Ynet, the Saudi visit was part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s broader campaign for international recognition of a Palestinian state. Riyadh is said to be frustrated by Israel’s refusal to end its military campaign and is pressuring Western countries to recognize Palestine.

The visit was also linked to a broader Saudi-French initiative to convene a global peace summit at the UN in New York next month. Riyadh believes Paris may support state recognition, though Israeli officials expect France to refrain from doing so—at least for now.