Israel Bars Diplomatic Delegations From West Bank Meeting

A scheduled meeting in Ramallah by 13 members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) has been cancelled today, after the Israeli government declined to allow some of the diplomatic delegations to enter the occupied West Bank to attend.

The meeting planned to ratify the Ramallah Declaration, an endorsement of the Palestinian effort to upgrade their UN status to “non-member state.” Israel has opposed the move, but says they declined the entry of the diplomats because their nations don’t have diplomatic relations with Israel.

The diplomats weren’t planning on entering Israel in the first place, Palestinian officials note, saying that they were entering the West Bank by way of Jordan, and calling Israel’s decision to keep them out “childish.”

The NAM also bashed the move, calling it a “flagrant violation of the principles of international law and of Israel’s obligations as the occupying power.” Though only five of the 13 delegations were barred the rest cancelled the meeting.