Israeli delegation in Saudi Arabia for UNESCO meeting

9/11/2023, 6:52:30 PM

Highlights: Israel has not been a member of the United Nations since it was created in 1945. It is the first time since then that the UN has been able to hold a meeting in the Middle East. The meeting was held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. It was the first meeting of its kind since the creation of the UN in 1945, and the first since the Arab-Israeli peace process began in 1967. The aim of the meeting was to discuss how to improve relations between the two countries.

An Israeli delegation went to Saudi Arabia on Monday 11 September to participate in a UNESCO meeting. Israel is no longer a member of this UN agency since...

Israeli delegation in Saudi Arabia for UNESCO meeting

An Israeli delegation went to Saudi Arabia on Monday 11 September to participate in a UNESCO meeting. Israel has not been a member of this UN agency since 2017. But the Jewish state, which is eagerly seeking to normalize relations with the Saudis, jumped at the chance.

Israeli delegation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during a UNESCO meeting, September 11, 2023. AFP - RANIA SANJAR

By: RFI Follow

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With our correspondent in Jerusalem, Sami Boukhelifa

Five Israeli diplomats, hosted in Saudi Arabia, the cradle of Muslim holy sites. This is the first public visit of a delegation from the Jewish state to the Gulf monarchy. Since 2020 and the Abraham Accords, which allowed a rapprochement between Israel and several Arab countries, the Jewish state has set itself the goal of extending these normalizations.

In recent times, the Israeli prime minister has multiplied his appeals to Saudi officials. Benjamin Netanyahu has discussed future economic projects with his big neighbor to the south more than once. But this year, Riyadh cut short Israeli optimism. "Real normalization and stability will only come by giving Palestinians hope and dignity. This requires giving them a state, "decided the head of Saudi diplomacy.

This visit of an Israeli delegation to Saudi Arabia therefore does not reflect any rapprochement. "It is the result of pressure from UNESCO," said a diplomat from the UN agency. UNESCO's mission is to establish a dialogue between all the States of the region.

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