Israeli Communications Minister, Shlomo Karhi , in the white shirt participates in prayers for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot during a visit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. / Photo: Reuters
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi this week became the second Israeli cabinet member to formally visit the Saudi capital, heading a 14-member delegation to a United Nations conference. Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holiest sites, has never recognised Israel and long insisted it would not do so without a just resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Riyadh did not join the US-brokered Abraham Accords which saw its Gulf neighbours Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates as well as Morocco establish formal ties with Israel in 2020.His visit comes days after the first official trip by an Israeli cabinet member, Tourism Minister Haim Katz, who last week attended a separate UN meeting in Saudi Arabia. Katz did not make any public remarks.