On Tuesday, Israel’s tourism minister embarked on a historic journey,marking what has been described as the inaugural public trip to SaudiArabia by a member of the Israeli cabinet. The purpose of this significantvisit was to participate in a United Nations tourism conference hosted inRiyadh.
Haim Katz, the Israeli tourism minister, undertook this two-day excursionat a time when Saudi Arabia is actively exploring the possibility ofestablishing formal diplomatic relations with Israel through a potentialU.S.-brokered agreement. It is worth noting that Saudi Arabia has notofficially acknowledged Israel’s sovereignty to date.
During his visit, Minister Katz articulated his commitment to fosteringcollaborative efforts aimed at advancing tourism and enhancing Israel’sforeign relations. In a statement, he expressed his dedication to workingtowards these goals during his time in Saudi Arabia. However, as of now,there has been no immediate response from the Saudi government regardingthis historic visit and the potential prospects it may entail.
Simultaneously, Saudi Arabia’s non-resident ambassador to the Palestinians,a role that was announced just a month prior, also embarked on agroundbreaking journey. This envoy paid his inaugural visit to the seat ofgovernment located in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on the same Tuesday,where he presented his credentials.
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Notably, these credentials designated him as the “consul-general inJerusalem,” signifying another noteworthy development in the evolvingdiplomatic landscape of the region. These actions highlight the evolvingdynamics and potential diplomatic shifts in the Middle East.
