Israel has blocked the entry of a delegation of Arab foreign ministers planning to hold a meeting in the Palestinian administrative capital of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, Israeli media is reporting.
The Israeli authorities refused entry to the delegation, which included ministers from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, on the grounds that they intended to participate 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,” an Israeli official said. “Israel will not cooperate with such moves aimed at harming it and its security.”