Arab countries blast Israel for blocking visit to Palestinian Authority

Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates have condemned the Israeli government’s decision to block their politicized visit to Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Judea and Samaria, internationally known as the West Bank. The Arab foreign ministers and their Turkish counterpart intended to visit the PA administrative capital Ramallah during the weekend. 

In a joint statement, the Arab states condemned what they claimed  “reflects the extent of the Israeli government’s arrogance, its disregard for international law, and its continued illegitimate measures and policies that besiege the brotherly Palestinian people and their legitimate leadership.” The Arab ministers also claimed that the Israeli government seeks to perpetuate “the occupation and undermine the chances of achieving a just and comprehensive peace.”

The Jordanian foreign ministry confirmed that the Arab ministers opposed “Israel’s decision to ban the delegation’s visit to Ramallah [on Sunday] to meet with the president of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas.”

Israel argues that the territory is disputed rather than “occupied” and stresses that it has legitimate historical, legal and security claims in the area, which constitutes the historical heartland of the Land of Israel. 

A senior Israeli official recently told The Times of Israel that the purpose of the ministerial visit from the Arab world to Ramallah was to “promote the establishment of a Palestinian state.”

“Israel will not cooperate with moves designed to harm it and its security,” the Israeli official stated, adding that upgrading the Palestinian Authority into statehood would lead to “a terrorist state in the heart of the Land of Israel.”

While the Palestinian Authority (PA) is viewed internationally as more moderate than its rival Hamas, it still rejects Israel’s existence as a Jewish state and frequently promotes racist hatred against Jews and Israel. Critics have also condemned the PA’s controversial pay-for-slay policy, which provides financial incentives to those who murder Jews in Israel. A November 2023 poll showed that 85% of the Arabic-speaking population in Gaza, Judea, and Samaria supported the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre of largely civilian Israeli men, women, and children.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud was expected to become the first top Saudi diplomat to visit Judea and Samaria since Israel took control of the territory after being attacked by Jordan during the 1967 Six Day War. The Arab foreign ministers were scheduled to arrive in Ramallah via helicopters from neighboring Jordan.

Diplomatic relations between Israel and the Arab world have worsened since the Oct. 7 massacre. While Arab states have condemned Israeli military operations in Gaza, they have largely avoided publicly denouncing Hamas for killing 1,200 Israelis, kidnapping 251 people, and using Gazan civilians as human shields – a double war crime under international law.

Prior to the war, there was growing optimism that the Arab Israeli Abraham Accords from 2020 would expand and include normalization with Saudi Arabia. 

However, last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that incriminating documents revealed that Hamas launched the Oct. 7 attack with the purpose of derailing normalized diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and the State of Israel. The late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was concerned about peace between Saudi Arabia and Israel, reportedly argued that an “extraordinary act” was required in order to stop this diplomatic process. 

Since Saudi Arabia is considered the leader of the Sunni Arab world, Hamas likely feared that normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel would pave the way towards diplomatic breakthroughs with additional Arab and Muslim states. 

In September 2023, just weeks before the attack, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) told Fox News that normalization with the Jewish state was getting “closer every day.”

While MBS has previously endorsed normalization with Israel, he has emphasized that it depends on implementing a two-state solution. However, following the atrocities committed against Israeli civilians, public opinion in Israel has turned sharply against the creation of a Palestinian state, which many across the political spectrum now view as a serious threat to national security.