Israel revokes permit of Palestinian foreign minister

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki’s VIP permit was seized by Israel on his way back to occupied West Bank.

Israel revoked the VIP permit of the Palestinian foreign minister after he returned to the occupied West Bank from a trip to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Israeli and Palestinian officials have confirmed. A Palestinian official said Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki was stopped on Sunday as he entered the occupied West Bank from Jordan through the Israeli-controlled crossing. Al-Maliki’s VIP card was seized, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was discussing a sensitive diplomatic issue. Losing the VIP status makes it harder for him to move through Israeli military checkpoints in the West Bank, and travelling abroad will require Israeli permission.