First Israeli rabbi received as guest of Saudi king at royal palace

Rabbi David Rosen arrived in Riyadh to participate in an interfaith meeting in Saudi Arabia.

By World Israel News Staff

A rabbi named David Rosen became the first Jewish clergyman from Israel to be hosted by the king of Saudi Arabia in his Riyadh royal palace.

The meeting happened last week, Times of Israel reported, as part of a gathering held by the King Abdullah International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID). Rosen is a member of KAICIID’s board of directors.

The Times quoted Rosen as saying that the meeting represented the first-ever interfaith group hosted by King Salman.

Rosen also serves as director of interreligious affairs for the American Jewish Committee and was the only Jewish member on the nine-person KAICIID board that met with King Salman last week.

Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, and Hinduism rounded out the faiths with representation on the KAICIID board in Riyadh.

A British-born immigrant to Israel, Rosen also sits on the Israeli Chief Rabbinate’s Commission for Interreligious Dialogue.

لأول مرة يستقبل الملك سلمان ملك السعودية وفدا متعدد الأديان في قصره اليوم بضمنه الحاخام اليهودي دافيد روزين في نطاق المساعي الحميدة لبناء جسور التسامح بين مختلف الأديان. pic.twitter.com/3k3FxfjMky

— إسرائيل بالعربية (@IsraelArabic) February 20, 2020

Interfaith DialogueSaudi Arabia