Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

US envoy to combat anti-Semitism to visit Saudi Arabia, Israel

US envoy to combat anti-Semitism to visit Saudi Arabia, Israel

Deborah Lipstadt will promote normalisation between Israel and Arab states during her trip, US State Department says.

Deborah Lipstadt, the US envoy to combat anti-Semitism, will travel to Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates ahead of a visit by President Joe Biden to the region, the State Department has announced.

Lipstadt will promote normalisation between Israel and Arab countries during the trip, which begins Sunday, the State Department said.

“Lipstadt intends to build on the profoundly important Abraham Accords to advance religious tolerance, improve relations in the region, and counter misunderstanding and distrust,” a statement released Thursday previewing the trip said.

It will be Lipstadt’s first official foreign trip since being confirmed by the Senate in late March.

The so-called “Abraham Accords” are the normalisation agreements signed in 2020 between Israel and several Arab countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.




Saudi Arabia has not normalised relations with Israel. But recent years have seen de-facto rapprochement between the two countries that view Iran as a common foe. The kingdom has allowed some Israeli flights to use its airspace en route to the UAE, which is deepening commercial and diplomatic ties with Israel.

Saudi officials have repeatedly voiced commitment to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which states that Arab countries would normalise ties with Israel in exchange for establishing a sovereign Palestinian state and finding a “just settlement” for Palestinian refugees forcibly displaced during the founding of Israel in 1948.

Still, Biden has suggested that he will push for normalisation between the kingdom and Israel during his trip to both countries next month. He will fly directly from Israel to Saudi Arabia where he is expected to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other regional leaders in Jeddah.

“What I want to do is see to it that we diminish the likelihood that there’s a continuation of some of these senseless wars between Israel and the Arab nations. That’s my focus,” the US president told reporters early in June when asked about visiting Saudi Arabia.

Palestinian leaders have previously rejected Arab-Israeli normalisation as a “stab in the back” to the Palestinian cause.

Earlier this month, Israeli officials hailed the prospect of further normalisation with Arab countries in the context of Biden’s visit. Axios quoted Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid as saying that the US president’s trip can “improve ties” between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

“We want a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia,” Lapid said.

After US officials confirmed Biden’s July trip to the Middle East, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s office also said the visit will “reveal the steps that are being taken by the US to integrate Israel into the Middle East”.




On Thursday, the State Department said Lipstadt will “meet with senior governmental and civil society interlocutors to discuss important changes underway in the Middle East” during her trip.

“Her engagements will emphasize promoting interfaith understanding, as well as combating intolerance and anti-Jewish sentiment,” the State Department said.

A Holocaust historian and staunch Israel supporter, Lipstadt slammed the Amnesty International report that accused Israel of practising apartheid against Palestinians earlier this year.

“Branding Israel an apartheid state is more than historically inaccurate,” she told legislators during her confirmation hearing. “I believe it’s part of a larger effort to delegitimise the Jewish state. Such language, I see it spilling over onto campuses where it poisons the atmosphere, particularly for Jewish students.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
×