JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s Interior Ministry said Sunday that it will now allow Israelis to travel to Saudi Arabia for religious or business visits.
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The announcement is the latest sign of quiet but warming relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. It also came days before the White House is to announce its Mideast peace plan — which is expected to seek Saudi support.
Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have formal diplomatic relations. But the two sides have found common ground in their shared animosity toward Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu frequently boasts of back channel relations with Arab countries that do not have formal ties with the Jewish state. Israel has peace deals with only two Arab countries — Egypt and Jordan.
Under Sunday’s announcement, Israeli Muslims can go to Saudi Arabia for religious pilgrimages. In the past, such visits required special permission from the government, the ministry said.
And in a first, it said Jewish Israelis will be permitted to go to Saudi Arabia to conduct business deals. While some Israelis are believed to already visit Saudi Arabia, this requires either a foreign passport or special permission.
In its announcement, the Interior Ministry said Israeli visitors would require an official invitation to enter the kingdom. It said the decision had been coordinated with Israeli security officials and other “relevant” bodies, including the Foreign Ministry.
There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia. The kingdom has made small gestures toward Israel in the past. In 2018, it began allowing Air India to fly through its airspace on its Israel route, cutting several hours off the trip.
Saudi support for the new U.S. peace plan would give significant momentum to the initiative. It remains unclear, however, whether the Saudis will do so, given the staunch opposition to the plan by the Palestinians.
The Sunni kingdom is the birthplace of Islam and hosts its holiest site at the city of Mecca.
Out of interest,
Till now any Israeli had to get a permit to travel to Saudi Arabia, how did they identify anyone who travelled there? No one checks the passport upon return? They enter using the passport kiosk?
These aRE the people of 9/11 and would be glad if they can do it again
There was an American Jewish service member, whom i knew, who was deployed to Saudi Arabia, during the first Gulf War (Operation Desert Shield, and later Operation Desert Storm ) from 1990-1991. While he had some time off, and was visiting a mall, he came across a Saudi merchant who spoke English, and knew that he was Jewish. He stated to the soldier, “Don’t worry about Israel; Israel is very strong, and you don’t have to worry”. Hence, not all Saudis were against Israel, especially when it concerned Iraq.
Nachum, that won’t stop the Trump and Israel haters. Things have changed in Saudi but the the dregs want war.. Except with Iran.
I will leave this Kingdom for good in sixty-six days. Perhaps I will be able to fly El Al.
Over 1,000 years ago, there was a Jewish community on what is now Saudi Arabia. During the First Gulf War, there were about 5,000 American Jewish military personnel sent to Saudi Arabia. The Saudis were not very happy about that, and tried to pressure Secretary of Defense Cheney not to send any Jews. However, the Jewish War Veterans intervened, and made sure that Jews were not excluded from any military units. However, they were urged not to display any Jewish symbols, or hold public religious services. I heard that services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur were held on U.S. Navy ships, although there may have been religious services conducted on land, without any publicity.
When the USA had a military base in Saudi Arabia, until the 1960’s, there was a “gentlemen’s agreement”, that no American Jewish service personnel would be sent to that base.
In the local papers the Foreign Minister said Saudi policy was unchanged and entry to the Kingdom is not permitted on an Israeli passport. That seems unfortunate.