Saudi Arabia Bans Muslims From Israel and Palestine From Mecca

Although the Jewish State and the Gulf Kingdom have no diplomatic ties, Palestinians with Israeli citizenship have been able to perform the hajj, considered compulsory in Islam, using temporary Jordanian passports. Riyadh has eliminated this loophole despite reports about a rapprochement and military cooperation between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has changed its passport rules, and will now block Muslim residents of Israel from making the pilgrimage to Mecca, according to Haaretz. The believers can be barred from undertaking the Hajj, as well as the Umrah, a less important pilgrimage, as Riyadh no longer recognizes temporary Jordanian passports.

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