Israel will not allow a planned meeting in the Palestinian administrative capital of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank to go ahead, an Israeli official says, after media reported that Arab foreign ministers planning to attend had been stopped from coming.

The delegation included ministers from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Palestinian Authority officials said. The ministers would require Israeli consent to travel to the West Bank from Jordan, Al Jazeera reported.

An Israeli official told Reuters news agency the ministers intended to take part in “a provocative meeting” to discuss promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state.

“Such a state would undoubtedly become a terrorist state in the heart of the land of Israel,” the official said. “Israel will not cooperate with such moves aimed at harming it and its security.”

A Palestinian Authority official said the issue of whether the meeting in Ramallah would be able to go ahead was under discussion.

The delegation included ministers from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Palestinian Authority officials announced. The ministers would require Israeli consent to travel to the West Bank from Jordan.

An Israeli official said the ministers intended to take part in “a provocative meeting” to discuss promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state.

“Such a state would undoubtedly become a terrorist state in the heart of the land of Israel,” the official continued, adding, “Israel will not cooperate with such moves aimed at harming it and its security.”

A Palestinian Authority official said that the issue of whether the meeting in Ramallah would be able to go ahead was under discussion.

The move comes 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 solution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict, under which an independent Palestinian state would exist alongside Israel.

Rabat – Israel has refused to allow foreign ministers from five Arab countries to visit Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the city of Ramallah, located in the occupied West Bank.

Israel controls all entry into the occupied territory, including its borders and airspace, and said it would not cooperate with the planned visit.

An Israeli official said the meeting, which was meant to promote the creation of a Palestinian state, was “provocative” and accused the Palestinian Authority of not condemning the October 7 attack by Hamas.

“Such a state would undoubtedly become a terrorist state in the heart of the Land of Israel. Israel will not co-operate with such moves aimed at harming it and its security,” said the official.

According to reports, foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar were expected to attend the meeting.

The five countries strongly condemned Israel’s decision. The Jordanian foreign ministry said the ministers rejected the move to block their visit with Palestinian President Abbas.

The delegation considers the move a “blatant violation” that “reflects the arrogance of the Israeli government” and its “disregard for international law,” added the statement.

Earlier this week, Israeli soldiers fired what they called “warning shots” at diplomats from Arab and European countries during a visit to the West Bank.

Also this week, Israel announced plans to approve 22 new settlements in the West Bank. These settlements are considered illegal under international law and are seen as a major roadblock to peace.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and France are planning to co-host a peace conference at the United Nations in June to revive talks on the two-state solution.

Yet Israeli forces have in recent weeks shown no desire to halt or end their genocidal war on Gaza. According to Gaza’s health ministry, the death toll in the Palestinian enclave has reached 54,381 since October 7, 2023.

Gaza has become the “hungriest place on Earth,” the UN lamented recently, warning that the entire population of 2.3 million people faces “catastrophic hunger.”

Israel Blocks Arab Ministers’ Ramallah Meeting Over Statehood/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/Israel has blocked a planned meeting in Ramallah involving Arab foreign ministers aiming to discuss Palestinian statehood. The move follows the Israeli government’s announcement of a major West Bank settlement expansion. Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain condemned the obstruction as a breach of international obligations.

A closed Israeli military gate stands near Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Middle East Diplomatic Standoff: Quick Looks

Israel prevents Arab ministers from holding Ramallah meeting

Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain planned to attend

Meeting intended to support Palestinian statehood efforts

Israel labels event as a “provocative” political act

Saudi FM cancels West Bank visit due to Israeli obstruction

Blockade follows major new Israeli settlement expansion announcement

France and Saudi Arabia co-chairing June summit on Palestinian statehood

Israel rejects international recognition of Palestinian state

French President Macron calls recognition a ‘moral duty’

Israeli Defense Minister touts settlements as ‘historic moment’

Deep Look: Israel Halts Arab Ministers’ Visit to Ramallah Amid Statehood Debate

JERUSALEM — May 31, 2025

Israel has officially blocked a planned high-level meeting in Ramallah, where Arab foreign ministers were scheduled to meet with Palestinian leaders to discuss momentum toward international recognition of a Palestinian state, according to an Israeli official.

The diplomatic visit — planned by top diplomats from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain — was postponed after Israeli authorities denied travel permissions through the occupied West Bank, labeling the meeting a “provocative” political maneuver.

“Such a state would undoubtedly become a terrorist state in the heart of the land of Israel,” an Israeli government official stated Saturday. “Israel will not cooperate with such moves aimed at harming it and its security.”

Regional Fallout and International Condemnation

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry called Israel’s move a “clear breach” of its obligations as an occupying power. The delegation had intended to enter Ramallah via Jordan, requiring Israeli consent to do so — consent that was denied.

A Saudi official confirmed that Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud had postponed his scheduled visit in response to Israel’s obstruction.

“Israel’s actions are an escalation and a clear message that diplomacy is being shut down,” a diplomatic source told Reuters.

Backdrop: Settlements and the Statehood Debate

This diplomatic row unfolds just days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government announced a sweeping new expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank — one of the largest in years. The decision, announced by Defense Minister Israel Katz, involves the authorization of 22 new settlements.

Katz described the expansion as an “historic moment” and a deliberate rebuke to French President Emmanuel Macron, who recently called for official recognition of a Palestinian state.

“Recognition of a Palestinian state will be thrown into the dustbin of history,” Katz said in a pointed response to Macron.

June Summit in New York Looms

Saturday’s blocked meeting was meant to build momentum ahead of a high-profile international summit in New York, scheduled for June 17–20. Co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, the summit will tackle strategies for advancing the two-state solution — a framework that envisions Israel and an independent Palestine living side by side.

Israel, under its current right-wing government, remains staunchly opposed to any unilateral moves toward Palestinian statehood. Officials argue that such recognition undermines security and emboldens extremism.

International Support Grows for Palestinian Recognition

Despite Israel’s resistance, international pressure continues to grow. Several European Union nations, along with the United Nations, back a two-state resolution to the decades-long conflict.

Macron recently declared that recognizing Palestine is a “political necessity and a moral duty.” His remarks echoed mounting frustration over Israel’s settlement policies and its grip on 3 million Palestinians, who live in fragmented zones in the West Bank cut off by Israeli military checkpoints and infrastructure.

Occupation Realities and Regional Risks

The West Bank, seized by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War, remains formally under military occupation. While Palestinians envision it as the foundation of their future state — alongside Gaza and East Jerusalem — ongoing settlement growth has complicated any path toward sovereignty.

Most countries consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this designation and many ministers now openly discuss annexing parts or all of the territory.

Palestinians and their supporters argue that Israel’s actions are deliberately designed to make a two-state solution logistically and politically impossible.

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