Jewish leaders invited to meet with Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman in D.C.

The invitation comes amid a sharp rise in antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric from the Kingdom

By Danielle Cohen-Kanik

Jewish and pro-Israel organizations were invited to a meeting with the Saudi defense minister in Washington on Friday afternoon, four sources familiar with the invitation confirmed to Jewish Insider.

Invited groups included the American Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation League, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Foundation for Defense of Democracies and Republican Jewish Coalition, though as of Thursday morning it was not clear which invitees would be accepting the invitation. 

The meeting comes as some Jewish organizations have expressed concerns about the recent rise in antisemitic and Islamist rhetoric out of Saudi Arabia, but they’ve been relatively cautious in their language as they seek to maintain their support for the long-sought but elusive goal of bringing Riyadh into the Abraham Accords.

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