Arab ministers condemn Israel 'ban' on planned West Bank visit

The overseas ministers of 5 Arab countries who had planned to sojourn the occupied West Bank this play connected Saturday condemned Israel's determination to artifact their plans.The ministers condemned "Israel's determination to prohibition the delegation's sojourn to Ramallah (on Sunday) to conscionable with the president of the State of Palestine, Mahmud Abbas", the Jordanian overseas ministry said.Ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had been expected to instrumentality portion alongside Turkey and the secretary-general of the Arab League.Israel had announced precocious Friday that it would not cooperate, efficaciously blocking the sojourn arsenic it controls the territory's borders and airspace.Abbas "intended to big successful Ramallah a provocative gathering of overseas ministers from Arab countries to sermon the promotion of the constitution of a Palestinian state," said a connection attributed to an unidentified official."Such a authorities would undoubtedly go a violent authorities successful the bosom of the Land of Israel. Israel volition not cooperate with specified moves aimed astatine harming it and its security."Had the sojourn gone ahead, the delegation's caput Prince Faisal bin Farhan would person go the archetypal Saudi overseas curate to sojourn the West Bank.Israel this week announced the instauration of 22 caller Jewish settlements successful the West Bank, regarded by the United Nations arsenic amerciable nether planetary instrumentality and 1 of the main obstacles to a lasting bid betwixt Israelis and Palestinians.

During a sojourn to 1 of the caller colony sites connected Friday, Defence Minister Israel Katz vowed to physique a "Jewish Israeli state" successful the Palestinian territory.Taking purpose astatine overseas countries that would "recognise a Palestinian authorities connected paper", helium added: "The insubstantial volition beryllium thrown into the trash bin of history, and the State of Israel volition flourish and prosper."In June, Saudi Arabia and France are to co-chair an planetary league astatine UN office meant to resurrect t...