Israeli ambassadors held a Jewish prayer session in Saudi Arabia, a historic event that showed how the two countries’ ties are becoming more normalized.
Shlomo Karhi, the communications minister for Israel, attended the service during the Sukkot holiday when he was in Riyadh for a UN postal meeting. Three Jews who were not a part of Karhi’s delegation were present at the minyan-sized meeting that took place in his hotel.
Participants in the service could be seen clutching an etrog, palm, myrtle, and willow branches—symbols of the Sukkot holiday—and wearing traditional prayer shawls. Additionally, a local Jew brought a little Torah scroll for them to read from.
BLESSED: Israeli ambassadors offer a Jewish prayer for King Salman and MBS in Saudi Arabia
The scroll read “The Jewish Congregation, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” with a dedication in Hebrew to King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, and his ministers and advisors. It also had inscriptions in Arabic, English, and Hebrew.
Orthodox Jew Minister Karhi traveled to Saudi Arabia to attend the Extraordinary Congress of the Universal Postal Union in 2023. Following the recent historic trip to the kingdom by Israeli Minister Haim Katz, this trip was made.
With the potential to change the Middle East landscape, these diplomatic exchanges represent a crucial step toward normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, facilitated by the United States.
Karhi used the biblical account of Daniel’s exile in Babylon to illustrate the significance of this particular event. According to him, “Just as the windows in the house of Daniel were opened facing Jerusalem, so too in Riyadh we were able to pray with windows open facing Jerusalem.”
Representatives from the Communications Ministry, the Postal Service, and the Foreign Ministry were among the Israeli entourage that accompanied Karhi.
Karhi will speak at the conference and will concentrate on growth and peace. He will also meet with Michael Ratney, the US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, as well as other world leaders.
Karhi was also invited to Mohammed Saud’s Sukkah in Riyadh, who is a well-known admirer of Israel. Saudi Arabia is known to have a number of Jewish businesses despite the absence of an official local Jewish community.
This visit is seen by Karhi and his group as a modest but significant step toward fostering peace and collaboration between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Putting emphasis on the phrase “everything starts with small steps,” Minister David Bitan expressed hope for the region’s future growth.
These diplomatic discussions are in line with the US Biden administration’s attempts to mediate a peace agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
This extensive plan includes Saudi Arabia’s requests for an agreement on shared defense, arms deals, and Israeli accommodations for the Palestinians.
A basic structure has been constructed, but due to the intricacy of the arrangement, compromises are required from all stakeholders.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier stated that Israel and Saudi Arabia were close to reaching a historic agreement. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman reiterated this attitude and emphasized the significance of the Palestinian issue in the process of normalization. He also said that if Iran develops nuclear weapons, Saudi Arabia might too.
