Jordanian friend of Saudi cleric says religious leader canceled plan to visit Jerusalem

Friend says Saudi cleric canceled Jerusalem visit

AMMAN, Jordan — A Jordanian friend of a Saudi cleric said Wednesday the religious leader has bowed to pressure from the kingdom and canceled his announced visit to Jerusalem.

Saudi Sheik Mohammed al-Areefi surprised everyone when he told viewers Sunday on his Iqra television show that he would visit Jerusalem this week and film an episode of the show there to support Muslim claims to the city.

Such a visit would be unprecedented for a Saudi cleric since the kingdom, like most Muslim countries, observes a strict boycott of Israel.

The announcement set off a controversy in the kingdom, with Saudi state-owned Al-Watan newspaper on Wednesday quoting passport authorities spokesman Lt. Col. Badr Malik as saying visiting Israel is prohibited and any violator is punishable under Saudi law.

In Jordan, a close friend of the cleric said al-Areefi “revoked his plans under pressure from the Saudi government.”

“He’s concerned that he will embarrass his government,” said the friend, a renowned Islamist who was part of a group that hosted al-Areefi during a lecture trip to Jordan last week.

The friend, who is known to be close to the Saudi cleric, spoke on condition of anonymity because al-Areefi has not made a public statement on the scrapped travel plan. He did not elaborate on how he knew al-Areefi changed his mind and whether the cleric had personally told him about it.

The cleric did not answer repeated calls to his cell phone by The Associated Press.

Also in the Jordanian capital, Israeli Embassy spokeswoman Merav Horsandi said there has been “no visa application submitted by the sheik to the consulate in Jordan.”

Amman and Cairo are the only two Mideast capitals where Saudis could apply for visas to Israel.