Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Meets Jewish Leaders Over Antisemitism and Abraham Accords

Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman—the brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman—will meet with several prominent Jewish and pro-Israel organizations this Friday in Washington, according to Jewish Insider. The groups invited include the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and the Republican Jewish Coalition.

The meetings occur amid heightened tensions between the U.S., Iran, and Israel. Israeli officials plan to share intelligence on potential Iranian targets, while Saudi officials have pushed for a diplomatic solution aimed at preventing broader regional conflict.

Some groups have raised concerns about an increase in antisemitic and Islamist rhetoric from Saudi Arabia during recent interactions. At the same time, these organizations have been careful not to undermine hopes for Saudi Arabia eventually joining the Abraham Accords—a long-sought diplomatic goal that has remained elusive.

One Middle East analyst described the meeting as “complete window dressing.” The analyst noted that Saudi officials might also seek to send a clear message to Jewish groups that they will not join the Abraham Accords until a Palestinian state is established, particularly ahead of rumored visits by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington in the next 30 days.

Earlier this week, Netanyahu accused Saudi Arabia of moving closer to regional actors hostile to Israel, casting further doubt on near-term normalization between Jerusalem and Riyadh. “We expect from anybody who wants normalization or peace with us that they not participate in efforts steered by forces or ideologies that want the opposite of peace,” Netanyahu stated.

A source advised Jewish leaders meeting with Saudi officials should reinforce this message. If these organizations attend, they must convey to Saudi leadership that their new strategic alliances and promotion of antisemitism—alongside destructive regional actions targeting Israel—are incompatible with genuine peace efforts.