Israel has blocked a scheduled meeting in Ramallah, the Palestinian administrative capital in the occupied West Bank, according to an Israeli official on Saturday. The move came after senior Arab ministers planning to attend the gathering were prevented from entering.
This development followed just days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government revealed one of the most significant expansions of West Bank settlements in recent years, highlighting intensifying friction over global efforts to recognize a future Palestinian state.
The meeting was planned ahead of an international summit—co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia—set to take place in New York from June 17 to 20, where Palestinian statehood is expected to be a central theme. Israel remains staunchly opposed to such recognition.
Jordan’s foreign ministry said the high-level Arab delegation—comprising the foreign ministers of Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain—postponed the visit due to “Israel’s obstruction.” The ministry described the move as “a clear breach of Israel’s responsibilities as an occupying power.”
Because travel from Jordan to the West Bank requires Israeli approval, the ministers were unable to proceed with their planned trip.
An Israeli official described the intended meeting as “a provocative gathering” focused on advancing the idea of a Palestinian state. “Such a state would, without question, become a terrorist state in the heart of the land of Israel,” the official said. “Israel will not take part in any initiatives that undermine its security or target its sovereignty.”
A Saudi source informed Reuters that Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud had postponed a planned visit to the West Bank.
International pressure has been mounting on Israel, particularly from the United Nations and several European governments that back a two-state solution—where an independent Palestine would exist alongside Israel.
French President Emmanuel Macron remarked on Friday that the recognition of a Palestinian state is not only “a moral obligation but a political necessity.”
Palestinians claim the West Bank—captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war—along with Gaza and East Jerusalem as the basis for a future state. However, the West Bank is now heavily segmented by settlements and Israeli checkpoints, restricting movement and isolating around 3 million Palestinians into fragmented enclaves.
Most of the international community considers these settlements illegal under international law, as the West Bank is still officially under Israeli military occupation. Nonetheless, several Israeli ministers have openly supported full annexation of the area.
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant described the recent announcement of 22 new West Bank settlements as a “historic milestone” for the settler movement and “a direct message to Macron.” He added that international efforts to recognize a Palestinian state would be “tossed into the trash bin of history.”
