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Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Saudi FM says blocking of West Bank visit shows Israel's rejection of peace
Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said Arab states will continue to advocate for a two-state solution. (EPA Images pic) AMMAN : Israel's blocking of a visit by Arab diplomats to the occupied West Bank showed its 'rejection of… a diplomatic path to peace', Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said today. Ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, along with the Arab League chief, had planned a trip to the Palestinian territory, but Israel said Friday that it would not cooperate, effectively blocking the trip as it controls the area's borders and airspace. Speaking at a joint press conference in Amman with his Jordanian, Egyptian and Bahraini counterparts, Prince Faisal said Israel's move 'illustrates and confirms its extremism and its rejection of any serious attempt to engage in a diplomatic path toward peace… it is clear that they only want violence'. The minister said the Arab states would, however, continue to advocate for a two-state solution. 'If the war in Gaza has shown one thing, it is that military solutions are futile and will not bring security to either side. A political and definitive solution is needed,' he said. The delegation was expected to meet with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority exercises limited control over parts of the West Bank. Had the visit gone ahead, the delegation's head, Prince Faisal, would have become the first Saudi foreign minister to visit the West Bank. 'In Gaza, it's a war of extermination. And in the West Bank, successive measures are clearly aimed at weakening the Palestinian Authority and, consequently, compromising the creation of a Palestinian state,' he added. Saudi Arabia was said to have been close to recognising Israel before the start of the Gaza war, and US President Donald Trump, during a recent visit to Riyadh, called normalisation between the countries 'my fervent hope and wish'. But de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has repeatedly said Saudi Arabia will not recognise Israel without an independent Palestinian state. In June, Saudi Arabia and France are to co-chair an international conference at UN headquarters meant to resurrect the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The diplomatic chief said the ministers spoke to Abbas in a video call and discussed the ongoing efforts 'to obtain recognition of the Palestinian state by as many countries as possible and mobilise public opinion and international decision-makers to find a rapid end to the war in Gaza'. 'Once again, I emphasise: those who claim that the two-state solution is the only solution must also adopt positions that support this solution, notably by recognising the state of Palestine,' he added.
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- General
- Khaleej Times
Israel's blocking of West Bank delegation shows 'they only want violence', says Saudi FM
Israel's blocking of a visit by Arab diplomats to the occupied West Bank showed its "rejection of... a diplomatic path to peace", Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Sunday. Speaking at a joint press conference in Amman with his Jordanian, Egyptian and Bahraini counterparts, Prince Faisal said Israel's move "illustrates and confirms its extremism and its rejection of any serious attempt to engage in a diplomatic path toward peace... it is clear that they only want violence." The foreign ministers of five Arab countries who had planned to visit the occupied West Bank on Saturday condemned Israel's decision to block their plans. The ministers condemned "Israel's decision to ban the delegation's visit to Ramallah (on Sunday) to meet with the president of the State of Palestine, Mahmud Abbas", the Jordanian foreign ministry said. Ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE had been expected to take part alongside Turkey and the secretary-general of the Arab League. Israel had announced late Friday that it would not cooperate, effectively blocking the visit as it controls the territory's borders and airspace. Abbas "intended to host in Ramallah a provocative meeting of foreign ministers from Arab countries to discuss the promotion of the establishment of a Palestinian state," said a statement attributed to an unidentified official. "Such a state would undoubtedly become a terrorist state in the heart of the Land of Israel. Israel will not cooperate with such moves aimed at harming it and its security." Had the visit gone ahead, the delegation's head Prince Faisal bin Farhan would have become the first Saudi foreign minister to visit the West Bank.
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First Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Arab ministers call Israel 'arrogant' after it 'bans' a planned West Bank visit
Israel has come under fire from five Arab nations after it blocked a planned visit by their foreign ministers to the occupied West Bank. The ministers were scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas in Ramallah. read more The foreign ministers of five Arab countries have condemned Israel for blocking their planned visit to the occupied West Bank this weekend. The ministers denounced 'Israel's decision to ban the delegation's visit to Ramallah [on Sunday] to meet with the president of the State of Palestine, Mahmud Abbas,' the Jordanian foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates were expected to attend the meeting in the occupied West Bank, along with Türkiye. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, Israel announced late on Friday that it would not permit the meeting to take place. As Israel controls the borders and airspace of the Palestinian territory, the ministers would have required Israeli approval to enter from Jordan. An Israeli official said the Palestinian Authority — which 'still refuses to condemn the October 7 massacre' — had planned to host what they described as a 'provocative' meeting in Ramallah aimed at promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state. This is a developing story.
Qatar Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Arab ministers condemn Israel's ‘ban' on planned West Bank visit
agencies West Bank The foreign ministers of five Arab countries who had planned to visit the occupied West Bank this weekend have condemned Israel's decision to block their plans. The ministers condemned 'Israel's decision to ban the delegation's visit to Ramallah [on Sunday] to meet with the president of the State of Palestine, Mahmud Abbas', the Jordanian foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were expected to take part in the meeting alongside Turkiye. Israel late on Friday said it will not allow the meeting of Arab foreign ministers, who would have required Israeli consent to travel to the occupied West Bank from Jordan because Israel controls the Palestinian territory's borders and airspace. 'The Palestinian Authorityintended to host in Ramallah a provocative meeting of foreign ministers from Arab countries to discuss the promotion of the establishment of a Palestinian state,' the Israeli official said late on Friday. 'Israel will not cooperate with such moves aimed at harming it and its security.' In a post on X, Hussein Al Sheikh, the deputy chair of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said Israel's decision is a 'dangerous escalation that reflects arrogant, provocative, and unprecedented behavior'. 'We are examining, along with our Arab brothers, how to respond to this decision,' he wrote. The Israeli move came 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 Palestinian-Israeli conflict, under which an independent Palestinian state would exist alongside Israel. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that recognising a Palestinian state was not only a 'moral duty but a political necessity'. Last week, Israeli forces opened fire near a diplomatic convoy near Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, triggering an international outcry. The convoy included diplomats from the European Union, the United Kingdom, Russia and China. The Israeli military claimed its soldiers fired 'warning shots' after the group deviated from an agreed-upon route. Israel has also allowed the expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, with the government announcing plans to establish 22 new settlements, including retroactively legalising a number of unauthorised outposts. The move has been condemned by Palestinian officials and global human rights groups. The International Court of Justice declared last July that Israel's longstanding occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal, and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, at least 972 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in attacks by the Israeli army and settlers across the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7 and more than 200 were taken captive. Since then, at least 54,381 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip and 124,054 wounded, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Strip's Government Media Office has updated the death toll to more than 61,700, saying thousands of people missing under the rubble are presumed dead.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Arab ministers condemn Israel ‘ban' on planned West Bank visit
Israel had announced that it would not cooperate, effectively blocking the visit as it controls the territory's borders and airspace. PHOTO: EPA-EFE AMMAN - The foreign ministers of several Arab countries, who had planned to visit the occupied West Bank this weekend, condemned on May 31 Israel's decision to block their trip. The ministers condemned 'Israel's decision to ban the delegation's visit to Ramallah (on Sunday) to meet with the president of the State of Palestine, Mahmud Abbas', the Jordanian foreign ministry said. Ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain had been expected to take part alongside the secretary-general of the Arab League, according to the statement. Israel had announced late on May 30 that it would not cooperate, effectively blocking the visit as it controls the territory's borders and airspace. Mr Abbas 'intended to host in Ramallah a provocative meeting of foreign ministers from Arab countries to discuss the promotion of the establishment of a Palestinian state', an Israeli official said. 'Such a state would undoubtedly become a terrorist state in the heart of the Land of Israel. Israel will not cooperate with such moves aimed at harming it and its security.' The Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry expressed 'grave concern' and called Israel's decision a 'blatant violation of its obligations under international law as an occupying power'. Had the visit gone ahead, the delegation's head, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, would have become the first Saudi foreign minister to visit the West Bank. 'Diplomatic confrontation' Israel this week announced the creation of 22 new Jewish settlements in the West Bank, considered illegal under international law and one of the main obstacles to a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. During a visit to one of the new settlement sites on May 30, Defence Minister Israel Katz vowed to build a 'Jewish Israeli state' in the Palestinian territory. Taking aim at foreign countries that would 'recognise a Palestinian state on paper', he added: 'The paper will be thrown into the trash bin of history, and the State of Israel will flourish and prosper.' In June, Saudi Arabia and France are to co-chair an international conference at UN headquarters meant to resurrect the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Saudi Arabia was said to have been close to recognising Israel before the start of the Gaza war, and US President Donald Trump, during a recent visit to Riyadh, called normalisation between the countries 'my fervent hope and wish'. But de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has repeatedly said Saudi Arabia will not recognise Israel without an independent Palestinian state. Mr Firas Maksad, managing director for the Middle East and North Africa at Eurasia Group, said Israel's rejection of the visit indicated 'how far Saudi and Israel have moved from normalisation to diplomatic confrontation'. He added that the planned visit 'underscores just how much the Saudi position has shifted away from creating a credible pathway towards a Palestinian state through conditional normalisation with Israel, to one that aims to create such a path via an international coalition in support of Palestinian aspirations'. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
