WJC leaders meet with Saudi king in New York

                                                       

World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder, chairman of the World Jewish Congress United States Marc Schneier, and WJC Secretary-General Michael Schneider have attended a private reception hosted by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in New York. Rabbi Schneier addressed King Abdullah on behalf of the Jewish delegation. The Saudi king, his foreign minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, and the Saudi ambassador to the United States, Adel Al-Jubeir, expressed their appreciation for the World Jewish Congress' participation in an advertisement in the 'New York Times' recently and the twinning of 100 mosques and synagogues scheduled for later this month.

In his remarks, Schneier told the Saudi hosts that the king's presence in New York was a reaffirmation to Abdullah's commitment of strengthening the voice of religious moderation and his conviction that religion is a positive force for peace and reconciliation. Earlier this year, the Saudi king had convened an unprecedented inter-religious conference in Madrid, Spain.

Rabbi Schneier also participated in the special United Nations conference on inter-faith dialogue which took place at the UN General Assembly in New York. Israeli President Shimon Peres and King Abdullah both addressed the gathering, as did US President George W. Bush and other world leaders.