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Source: https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-710916
It's No Longer "Muslims Only" in the Holy Saudi City of Medina
(Jerusalem Post) Avi Jorisch - For 1,300 years, only Muslims have been allowed to visit Medina, Islam's second holiest city where the Prophet Muhammad is buried. But that is changing, part of a larger transformation in Saudi society. Saudi officials recently removed signs reading "Muslims only" on the road to Medina. Last month, a delegation of 50 Jewish business leaders closely affiliated with Israel visited the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. Wherever we went, it felt like old friends and family being reunited. Not every conversation was easy, but it seemed clear to us that they were breaking centuries-old taboos and re-imagining working together. Our Saudi colleagues seemed overjoyed that we made the effort to understand their civilization by visiting one of Islam's most revered places. "Your visit will force us to see Jews and Israelis differently," said one Saudi. The writer is a senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council.