The flap erupted just five months after Israel was admitted into the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, an exclusive club of prosperous economies.

Palestinians claim east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war, as a future capital. The international community does not recognize the city as Israel’s capital.

A tourism ministry official said Saturday that OECD secretary-general Angel Gurria sent a letter to Israel’s prime minister saying that for the conference to take place, Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov “should correct the misperception created and put the meeting in its proper perspective.”