Saudi Arabia Must Shut Down Antisemitism

Peace with Saudi Arabia would be a miracle for the Middle East. But it cannot be built on top of a lie, and it sure can’t be built while Jews are cursed from the pulpit in Mecca.

You can’t ask for friendship while you’re preaching hate.

Makkah pencil drawing (Shutterstock)

Two days before the terrorist attack in Sydney where 15 Jews were murdered, a sermon from Islam’s holiest site called on God to “punish the Jews.” According to a report on the Jerusalem Post, the preacher, Sheikh Salih bin Abdullah bin Humaid, called on God to punish the Jews and portrayed Israel as a cruel “Zionist enemy,” while praising the Palestinian struggle. Edy Cohen, an expert in Arab affairs, said that last week, Sheikh Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid said: “Oh Allah, deal with the Jews who have seized and occupied, for they cannot escape your power...We seek refuge with you from their evils.”

That’s not just offensive, it’s dangerous. When a cleric says this kind of thing in a mosque anywhere, it's wrong. But when it's broadcast from Mecca, controlled and supervised by the Saudi state, it becomes something far worse: official hate.

No one’s demanding perfection. But we can, and must, demand basic human decency. If Saudi Arabia wants to lead the region into a new era, then let it begin by doing something very simple: stop blessing hatred.

We Want Peace, But It Must Be Real

I’m not against peace with Riyadh. On the contrary, a real alliance between Israel and Saudi Arabia would shake the foundations of the Middle East, in a good way. It could help contain Iran, stabilize global energy markets, and open doors that have been shut for generations. It would send a message to the region: Israel is here to stay, and we’re not your enemy.

But peace is not just about diplomats shaking hands or headlines in the New York Times. It's about changing hearts. If antisemitism is still being pumped into the soul of Saudi religious life, then no piece of paper will be worth the ink.

Don’t Tell Us This Was a “One-Off”

Some are trying to play this down. “Just one preacher,” they say. “Not official policy.”

But in Saudi Arabia, there is no such thing as a rogue preacher in Mecca. Every word said from the pulpit is state-monitored. In fact, Saudi Arabia has an entire department tasked with managing the religious discourse in the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, according to experts. Imams are vetted. Sermons are regulated. Preachers who cross the line are fired.

So if this hate was allowed to go out over the loudspeakers of Mecca, then someone up top signed off, or chose to look the other way. That’s not acceptable.

MBS Speaks the Right Language, Now It’s Time to Back It Up

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has made bold and admirable moves to reform his country. He’s cracked down on radical clerics, opened Saudi society, and talked openly about moving toward a more moderate Islam.

These are not small things. And for the record, I respect him for it. It takes guts to stand up to decades of religious extremism and challenge the old guard.

But if this is really the direction Saudi Arabia wants to go, then cracking down on antisemitism must be part of the reform. Not just removing a few lines from textbooks.

The Crown Prince of the Saudi Arabian throne, Mohammad bin Salman, during the G20 meeting. (Shutterstock)

When a cleric from Mecca prays for God to “punish the Jews,” someone, somewhere, hears that as a green light.

That’s not theoretical. That’s exactly what happened in Sydney. Jews were murdered by a radical Islamist terrorist. When you surround that ideology with religious validation, you don’t just create sympathy for terrorism, you create theological support for it.

It’s no coincidence that hate speech rises when tensions in Israel rise. But it’s time for Arab leadership to take a stand against it, clearly, publicly, and repeatedly.

Not as a favor to Israel. Not as a precondition for a deal. But as a moral obligation to the truth.

Relations between Saudi arabia and Israel (Shutterstock)

Real Peace Requires Real Change

If Saudi Arabia wants normalization, then let normalization begin with truth. The truth is: Jews are not cursed. Israel is not evil. Zionism is not a crime.

And yes, you can support the Palestinian people without calling for the destruction of the Jewish state or the death of Jewish civilians. But that distinction must be made loudly, especially from the places of highest religious authority.

This isn't about politics. It's about basic decency. It’s about saying: If we’re going to build something new together, it cannot be poisoned at the root.

I believe Saudi Arabia can lead the Muslim world into a better era. I believe MBS wants to create a future where the region isn’t trapped in the past. And I believe peace with Israel can happen, and should happen. But it must be built on mutual respect.

It starts with stopping the hate. Ending the sermons of curses. Dismissing those who incite. Replacing lies with truth. We can’t change the past. But we can make sure it doesn’t repeat.

And peace built on truth? That’s the kind that lasts.