Peace with Saudi Arabia is now closer, Israeli minister says from Riyadh

Peace with Saudi Arabia has now moved one step closer, two top-level Israeli politicians said as they landed Monday night in Riyadh.

"Shalom Israel," said MK David Bitan after he got off the plane together with Communication Minister Shlomo Karhi.

"Happy holiday, we just landed now in the capital of Saudi Arabia as part of an official delegation authorized by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,” Kahri stated.

“Our faces are to peace," he said.

Israel engaging with representatives worldwide

استمرار التطبيع!..وزير الاتصالات لدى الاحتلال "شلومو كرعي" يصل إلى السعودية مع وفد رسمي للمشاركة في مؤتمر دولي بالرياض. pic.twitter.com/Z8pcmG7v8T

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) October 2, 2023

"We will meet with representatives from around the globe and we will bring peace closer between Israel and Saudi Arabia," Kahri stressed.

Bitan, who chairs the Knesset Economic Committee, added, "everything begins with small steps.”

The two men headed a 14-member Israeli delegation so they could attend the Universal Postal Union’s Fourth Extraordinary Congress. 

Karhi is the second Israeli minister to land in Saudi Arabia in the last two weeks, a move that is viewed as a sign of warming ties between the two countries that lack diplomatic relations.

Tourism Minister Haim Katz was the first Israeli minister to land in Riyadh when he attended the conference of the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

Karhi is expected to address the Extraordinary Conference on Wednesday.

He will also meet with the US ambassador to Saudi Arabia and the Turkish communications minister.

The trip comes as Washington and Riyadh are working on a security pact that would include a normalization agreement with Israel and an interim deal with the Palestinians.