Israel blocks Saudi-led Arab delegation’s historic visit to West Bank

Israel has decided to block a delegation of Middle Eastern foreign ministers, led by Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat, from visiting the West Bank, a senior Israeli official confirmed to The Times of Israel on May 30.

The delegation, which included foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan, was scheduled to meet with Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on June 1.

According to the Israeli official, the PA intended to use the visit to promote the establishment of a Palestinian state. The official stated that Israel would not cooperate with actions it views as threatening its security, asserting that a Palestinian state would become “a terrorist state in the heart of the Land of Israel.”

Although the ministers did not plan to visit Israel itself, Israel controls the West Bank borders and must approve their entry.

The visit by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan was expected to be the first by a Saudi foreign minister since Israel took control of the West Bank in 1967. The ministers were to arrive in Ramallah via helicopter from Jordan, according to a source familiar with the plans.

The decision to block the delegation was made during a ministerial meeting held by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday.

This move is likely to intensify questions about the legitimacy of Israel’s control over the West Bank and strain relations with its Arab neighbours, which have already deteriorated since the outbreak of the Gaza war.

The trip was supported personally by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and was also intended to show support for the PA, according to Axios.

Israel’s decision is expected to further hinder efforts to normalise relations between Jerusalem and Riyadh. Israeli officials maintain that an agreement remains possible, though Saudi officials have repeatedly said normalisation will not occur without Israeli steps toward a future Palestinian state.

In defence of the decision, the Israeli official noted that the PA has yet to explicitly condemn Hamas’s October 7 attack and accused Ramallah of violating agreements with Israel. While the PA initially issued only vague condemnations of violence against all civilians, President Abbas has more recently condemned Hamas, urging the group to release hostages, disarm, and relinquish control of Gaza.

Meanwhile, Israel continues to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues owed to the PA, citing payments made by the PA to families of Palestinian security prisoners and attackers. In February, Abbas signed a decree removing the requirement that such payments be tied to the length of prison sentences.

Palestinian ambassador to Saudi Arabia Mazen Ghoneim told Saudi state media Al Arabiya that the rare joint ministerial visit, coming as the Gaza war nears its 20th month, sends a “clear message” that the Palestinian cause remains central to Arabs and Muslims.

Next month, Saudi Arabia and France will co-chair an international conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York aimed at reviving the two-state solution. France is considering recognising a Palestinian state at the conference, with Riyadh hoping other countries will follow. Israel has responded by advancing settlement construction in the West Bank, seeking to hinder progress toward a two-state solution.

Sunday’s visit was also meant to strengthen the legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority, which faces pressure from Arab and Western allies to reform and potentially replace Hamas as the governing authority in Gaza after the war. Israel opposes such a transition but faces growing pressure from Arab allies willing to assist in Gaza’s post-war management if Ramallah gains influence.

The travel ban comes amid a month of growing diplomatic isolation for Israel due to its conduct in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. The European Union announced it will review commercial ties with Israel; the UK has paused talks on expanding its trade agreement; Germany and France have threatened measures over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza; and even US President Donald Trump has called for a swift end to the war, expressing concern over Palestinian suffering before Israel eased its blockade slightly last week.

Earlier this week, the United Arab Emirates summoned Israel’s envoy in Abu Dhabi in a rare diplomatic rebuke following an annual extremist rally in Jerusalem that Israel permitted despite participants’ calls for violence against Arabs and Palestinians.

By Tamilla Hasanova