Sources in Saudi Arabia revealed an unprecedented circular to Saudi ambassadors and consuls that would accelerate the pace of normalization between the Kingdom and Israel.
According to the sources, a circular was issued to all ambassadors and consuls of the Kingdom in major countries, requiring them to visit Israeli embassies, attend their events, and invite Israeli ambassadors to visit Saudi embassies and consulates.
The sources explained that some ambassadors and consuls are dissatisfied with this circular, especially as it contradicts the positions of the Saudis in opposing normalization and rejecting it.
This coincides with a report by the Hebrew newspaper about Jews planting palm trees in Medina for the first time in 1,400 years sparked angry reactions in the Kingdom.
The Jewish Chronicle revealed exciting details about a trip by a group of religious businessmen, a history professor, and researchers from the University of Cambridge to Medina.
The newspaper said that the Jews planted palm trees in Medina as part of a trip to the region, which included a group from the “Abrahamic religion” project.
It indicated that the Saudi government sponsored the Jewish delegation and met with the Secretary-General of the Islamic World League, Mohammed Al-Issa, and many religious scholars, artists, and others.
The British Jew Rick Sopher led the delegation, each participant planting a seedling of dates, the specialized type of palm tree only grown in Medina and mentioned by the Prophet Mohammed in the Hadith.
The head of the delegation said, “If anyone had told me five or even ten years ago that I would come to Saudi Arabia, I would not have believed them, but now we receive warmth and hospitality.”
He added that not only in the Kingdom but also inside Medina, it was truly a touching moment.
He noted that planting palm trees in Medina, in the same place where the Jews planted, and that he was the first Jewish person to plant a palm tree in the city in 1,400 years.
As the head of the Sephardi Center in London, he said, “In my previous visits to Saudi Arabia, I did not declare my Jewish religion, but now I can…”