In a historic move, an Israeli delegation graced the halls of a UNESCO meeting in Riyadh on Monday, marking Israel’s first publicly announced visit to Saudi Arabia. The visit, shrouded in speculation, raises questions about the potential normalization of relations between the two nations.
The five-member Israeli delegation discreetly arrived on Sunday, a revelation made by an Israeli official speaking to AFP. Their purpose was to partake in the meeting, which aimed to update UNESCO’s world heritage list, encompassing a wealth of cultural and historic sites.
A cautious Israeli official, who chose to remain anonymous due to the sensitivities surrounding the visit, voiced their optimism, calling it “a good first step” during the meeting. The delegation expressed gratitude towards UNESCO and the Saudi authorities for facilitating their presence.
It’s worth noting that the team had to traverse through Dubai, as direct flights between Israel and Saudi Arabia are non-existent. Their visas, crucial for this unprecedented visit, were obtained through UNESCO, the United Nations’ educational, scientific, and cultural organization.
The Israeli delegation, accompanied by a security official, occupied seats behind a desk bearing the emblem “Israel” on its front. This visual cue did not go unnoticed, drawing curious glances from Saudis participating in the event, where over 50 sites vied for recognition on the coveted world heritage list.
In response to the Israeli delegation’s presence, a young Saudi man involved in support services remarked, “That is God’s command. The issue is bigger than us, and we can’t object to it.”
A diplomatic source within UNESCO revealed that the agency’s director-general, Audrey Azoulay, played a pivotal role in facilitating Israel’s participation in the Riyadh meeting. This achievement reflects years of effort to foster dialogue between all nations in the region.
While the visit is devoid of overt political overtones, it unfolds against a backdrop of mounting rumors concerning potential rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Recent reports even suggest that a Palestinian delegation visited Riyadh the previous week to discuss the path forward should Saudi Arabia and Israel formalize relations.
Saudi Arabia, home to two of Islam’s most revered sites, has not officially recognized Israel and abstained from joining the 2020 US-brokered Abraham Accords, which saw Israel establish diplomatic ties with Gulf nations like the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
The visit, coordinated by UNESCO, hints at the persistence of “obstacles” on the road to full Saudi-Israeli normalization, according to Aziz Alghashian, a Saudi analyst with expertise in bilateral relations. Alghashian suggests that Saudi Arabia’s broader push to become a global business and tourism hub, as envisioned in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 reform agenda, necessitates a more open approach to international engagement.
In essence, the Israeli delegation’s visit, much like a previous visit by Israeli eSports players for the Gamers8 festival, which also required third-party coordination, may signify a broader shift in Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic posture rather than a bilateral breakthrough brought about solely by diplomatic prowess.
Source AFP
