[Today’s Prayer] Israeli-Saudi ministers shake hands at international meeting... “Let’s make history together”

Local media, including the Times of Israel, reported on the 26th (local time) that ministerial officials from Israel and Saudi Arabia openly held hands and created a friendly atmosphere at an international conference.

Israeli Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat met with Saudi Commerce Minister Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi at the 13th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference (MC13) held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) on this day.

The Times of Israel reported that the two ministers, who greeted each other by holding hands, chatted briefly and exchanged business cards.

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A public meeting between Israeli and Saudi ministers, who have not established diplomatic relations, is extremely unusual.

Israel showed great interest in improving relations with Saudi Arabia after normalizing relations with Arab countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Morocco in 2020 through the mediation of the United States.

This is because it is believed that improved relations with Saudi Arabia, a Sunni Islamic suzerain state, will serve as a catalyst for the expansion of the Abraham Accords.

The U.S. Joe Biden administration, which needs diplomatic results ahead of the presidential election, also pushed for a peace agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel and came close to establishing historic diplomatic relations between the two countries, but related discussions were halted for a while as the war in the Gaza Strip broke out due to a preemptive attack by Hamas in October last year.

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Saudi Arabia has made it official that it can recognize Israel as a state if the Palestinian issue, including the war in Gaza, is resolved.

However, Israel's hard-right right-wing government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, hopes to improve relations with Saudi Arabia, but maintains its position that it cannot allow the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state.

Source: Yonhap News

“And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’” (Job 28:28).

An improvement in relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia was also expected after the 'Abraham Accords' signed between Israel and Arab countries in 2020, but discussions were halted after the war in the Gaza Strip.

We hear that the meeting between Israeli and Saudi ministers at this international conference created a positive atmosphere.

While there are still differences of opinion between Israel and Saudi Arabia over the issue of establishing a sovereign state in Palestine, we see that peace cannot be achieved through human power.

May the true peace that unites enemies through the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross be spread among the Israelites and Arab nations, and may you pour out wisdom and understanding among these nations so that they fear God, the ruler of life, and turn away from the evil that takes people's lives through war.

Let the Lord's disciples arise who confess that God's plan to bless all nations starting from Abraham was completed through Jesus Christ.

Therefore, may Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the Arab countries follow the faith of Abraham, end the conflict between Isaac and Ishmael, and unite as nations who rise up as one Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ!