Middle East Monitor / February 14, 2020
Saudi Arabia welcomed a delegation of members of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organisations this week, according to Haaretz.
The trip, a first for the umbrella body for US Jews, is believed to be the first official visit to the kingdom by an American Jewish organisation since 1993, when the American Jewish Congress sent a delegation to Saudi Arabia to endorse the Oslo agreements.
The visit from Monday to Thursday included meetings regarding countering terrorism and those instigating instability in the Middle East, with senior Saudi officials present, as well Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, the secretary-general of the Muslim World League who led a delegation to Auschwitz last month, reported the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
The group’s professional leadership, Executive Vice President Malcolm Hoenlein and CEO William Daroff, were also reported to have been present, as well as current lay Chairman Arthur Stark.
The body has over the years been conflicted on whether to support US President Donald Trump’s unilateral moves regarding Israel and has previously condemned Israel’s settlement policy.
