Informal ties grow between Israel, Saudi Arabia
With the current rift between Washington and Riyadh, every baby step in informal relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia counts.
Athlete Shachar Sagiv participated Oct. 29 in the Saudi NEOM leg of the Super League Triathlon, becoming the first-ever Israeli to compete in the country.
Israel’s Olympic Committee head Yael Arad congratulated the Israeli triathlete, noting that his presence in Saudi Arabia was “a very significant breakthrough.” A statement issued by Arad said, “In the past year we’ve seen many Arab states come to terms with the fact that hosting an international tournament means hosting Israelis. This is a growing trend and the true force in normalization between nations, and especially people.”
In another sports event involving both Israel and Saudi Arabia, Saudi tennis player Yara Al-Hogbani defeated Oct. 29 Israeli player Isabell Bilaus. The two women played in the semifinals of the J5 Isa Town Tournament currently taking place in Bahrain.
The two sports events join other signs of rapprochement between Jerusalem and Riyadh. And while official normalization of ties is not yet on the menu, the two societies and the two economies are already ahead of diplomacy.
