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Saudi says Israelis cannot visit ‘for now’
DUBAI, Jan 27, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Israeli citizens are not allowed to come
to Saudi Arabia, the kingdom’s foreign minister announced Monday after the
Jewish state said it gave its citizens the green light to visit.
Israel’s interior ministry on Sunday said Israeli citizens, both Muslims
and Jews, have the right to travel to Saudi Arabia for religious and business
visits.
But Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told CNN Israelis are
not welcome at the moment in Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites.
“Our policy is constant. We don’t have relations with Israel and holders
of Israeli passports cannot visit the kingdom for now,” he said, according to
CNN’s Arabic website.
Like most Arab countries, Saudi Arabia does not have diplomatic relations
with Israel.
Israel has peace deals with only two Arab countries — Jordan and Egypt —
but its occupation of Palestinian territory has long served as a major factor
preventing similar accords with the rest of the Arab world.
Israel has, however, been seeking to build ties with Gulf nations in
recent months.
“We strongly encourage the reaching of a solution” to the Palestinian-
Israeli conflict, said Bin Farhan.
“When a peace treaty between the Palestinians and Israel is reached the
question of Israel’s integration in the region will be on the table (for
negotiations) I believe,” he added.
His comments came as US President Donald Trump said in Washington that his
Israeli-Palestinian peace plan — already rejected by the Palestinians — has
a “chance” and will be unveiled Tuesday.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 2436 hrs