Against the backdrop of escalating anti-Israel discourse, the first meeting between the Saudi foreign minister and Trump's envoy for combating antisemitism took place.
The first meeting between the Saudi minister and President Trump's special envoy for combating antisemitism, Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, took place on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, notably occurring against the backdrop of escalating anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric in the kingdom in recent weeks.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry's official statement reported that Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with the American envoy, and the two "reviewed efforts to promote values of dialogue and tolerance, combat extremism, and the importance of strengthening understanding and coexistence."
Enjoyed having a productive meeting today with Foreign Minister HH Prince @FaisalbinFarhan. https://t.co/XnLsxW259V
— Ambassador Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun (@StateSEAS) February 14, 2026
Kaploun himself tweeted after the meeting that it was "a productive meeting," but in an exclusive interview with Israel Hayom, he elaborated on its content. "This was a very productive conversation of over an hour, a very positive initial meeting. We worked on things together, concrete steps," he said. According to him, the two also discussed the broader strategic significance. "We devoted significant time together to discuss the fact that there is a special opportunity to change history, including what the President has managed to do and continues to do, by dismantling Hamas and Hezbollah – this is very important for the region, and stability in the region is very important."
"Reducing extreme rhetoric – the key," Kaploun also addressed the rise in antisemitic discourse in Saudi Arabia. "We spoke about the need for leaders to lead when discourse becomes extreme and hatred rises. We agreed that reducing extreme rhetoric is the key to respecting one another, respecting religions, and that this extremism is not a healthy situation for anyone in the region."
He even expressed cautious optimism about what lies ahead. "There is gradual progress in creating a different reality in the region, as we saw this week with the Gaza Board of Peace. I am optimistic," Kaploun said, referring to the meeting of the Gaza Board of Peace members, at President Trump's initiative and under his leadership, to advance sustainable peace in Gaza and perhaps even in additional regions worldwide.
ADL is alarmed by the increasing frequency and volume of prominent Saudi voices — analysts, journalists, and preachers — using openly antisemitic dog whistles and aggressively pushing anti-Abraham Accords rhetoric, often while peddling conspiracy theories about "Zionist plots."…
— ADL (@ADL) January 22, 2026
The meeting takes on special significance against the backdrop of escalating discourse in the kingdom. In recent weeks, Saudi commentators, preachers, and media figures have published harsh attacks against Israel, Zionism, and the Abraham Accords, including antisemitic insinuations and conspiracy theories. Jewish figures in the US have expressed concern about the phenomenon, which they claim has narrowed the space for regional normalization.
About two weeks ago, another significant meeting took place. Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, met in Washington with senior American Jewish organization officials, including the American Jewish Committee (AJC), the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC). According to those present, the Saudi Defense Minister warned that if President Trump does not fulfill his commitment to take military action against Iran, this would "only strengthen and encourage the Tehran regime."
Additionally, bin Salman claimed to the participants that the anti-Israel messages do not reflect the royal house's position, and emphasized that ongoing security, military, and intelligence cooperation takes place between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
