An AJC leadership delegation concluded eight days of consultations with senior government officials, policy analysts, business executives, U.S. diplomats, journalists and other interlocutors in three Arabian Gulf states.
The Abu Dhabi conference was surely a significant indicator of an increasingly positive view on engagement with Jewry on the part of religious and political authorities in the region.
The Council recently met in Austin to take stock of its 2018 initiatives, address the most pressing developments on its priority agenda, and join in the launching of the Texas LJLC, its first regional affiliate.
A pattern of improved relations with almost all the Gulf states is emerging, backed by occasional statements by senior officials and a much livelier debate than ever in the local media about the legitimacy of Israel's presence as a player in the region.