‘Praying in Riyadh” – Israeli Minister Reads from Torah in Saudi Arabia

By:  World Israel News Staff

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi read from the Torah alongside other Jewish guests in his hotel in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday morning, signaling the growing closeness of a normalization agreement between the two countries.

Karhi posted pictures to his X account depicting him reading from a Torah scroll, as well as shaking a lulav (a frond from the date palm tree).

“Even here in Riyadh we had the privilege of praying with the windows open in the direction of Jerusalem. Happy holiday,” Karhi wrote as a caption to the images, alongside emojis of the Saudi and Israeli flags.

The minister is currently in the Gulf Kingdom on the heels of ongoing peace negotiations between Riyadh and Jerusalem.

Karhi is scheduled to attend the Universal Postal Union’s Fourth Extraordinary Congress later this week, alongside Knesset Economic Committee Chairman MK David Bitan.

The conference is focused on the future of international mail services.

Upon arriving in the country on Monday evening, Karhi wrote that “our faces are turned towards peace.”

He added that he and the rest of the Israeli diplomatic delegation “will meet with representatives from around the globe and we will bring peace closer between Israel and Saudi Arabia.”

The fact that Karhi openly engaged in Jewish prayer and posted the pictures on his public social media account demonstrates a market shift in Saudi Arabia’s attitude towards Judaism.

Traditionally, the Gulf country has not only forbidden Israeli visitors, but tourists of Jewish origin.

In 2004, when Saudi Arabia began granting tourist visas to non-Muslims, a senior official specifically said that Jews would not be granted permission to enter the country.

Hebrew-language media recently reported that the Gulf Kingdom is quietly removing anti-Semitic content within its educational curriculum and textbooks, ahead of a likely normalization agreement with Israel.

In other news, WIN also reported that The Riyadh International Book Fair, a highlight in the annual cultural calendar, unveiled a significant exhibit this year: a 500-year-old Torah scroll.

The artifact, which captured the attention of attendees, is one of 26 ancient manuscripts on display at the event.

The explanation accompanying the scroll reads that it is “a scroll of leather…of the Torah in Hebrew. Length: (40 meters x 90 cm). It dates back to the 16th century AD, according to estimates.” It does not mention where the scroll came from.

The historical manuscripts on display hail from esteemed institutions such as the King Abdulaziz Complex for Endowment Libraries, the King Salman Library at King Saud University, and the King Fahd National Library.

The book fair, which opened to public audiences on Thursday, has gathered nearly 1,800 global publishing houses and features 800 pavilions. It anticipates hosting approximately a million visitors during its tenure.

The fair, spanning an expansive 46,000 square meters, is recognized as the Arab world’s largest in terms of cultural diversity and inclusivity.

Also on Tuesday, WIN reported that Settlements and National Missions Minister Orit Strook (Religious Zionism), local politicians, and some 10,000 Israelis marched to Joshua’s Altar in Judea and Samaria on Monday, attempting to raise awareness of the Palestinian Authority’s intention to destroy the Biblical site.

Joshua’s Altar, which is believed to be the site where the Israelites built an altar immediately upon entering the land of Israel after the Exodus, is located on Mt. Ebal, north of the PA-controlled city of Hebron.

(WorldIsraelNews.com)