Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports that Ronald Levy, an American cancer researcher—and a Jew—was awarded the King Faisal Prize in Medicine. He is the first Jew to receive a King Faisal prize. The article notes that his former affiliation with an Israeli university was deleted from the official announcement of the award, but that Levy and his Israel-born wife were given visas to visit the Kingdom and that they were surprised by their warm welcome.
Perhaps this story—or more like it—will convince some writers that Jews indeed can visit Saudi Arabia.
U.S. professor becomes first Jew to win ‘Arab Nobel Prize’
Natasha MozgovayaAn American professor has become the first Jew to win the King Faisal International Prize in Medicine, popularly known as the “Arab Nobel Prize.”
Stanford professor Ronald Levy, who heads the university’s Oncology department, told Haaretz that as an American Jew married to an Israeli it never crossed his mind that he might win the Saudi-financed competition.
After he was informed of his victory, Levy rushed to check the contest Web site, where he found his picture and biography already on the homepage. The prize committee had posted Levy’s biography exactly as he submitted it, with one glaring exception: the line showing his post-doctoral work at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot had been deleted.
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April:16:2009 - 11:46
Saudi Arabia has indeed eliminated formal requirements that effectively barred Jews from entry into the Kingdom. While those requirements existed, Jews could enter the kingdom but the decision whether the person in question was granted a visa was arbitrary. The elimination of the restrictions constituted significant change. So did the long running column in Al Riyadh entitled What Israel Thinks that referred to Israel rather than the Zionist entity. Abdullah’s peace plan and interfaith efforts and now the granting of the Faisal prize to Levy are further steps towards normalization.
April:16:2009 - 13:47
This is good news, especially after the fiasco in the UAE recently, banning, I think not one, but two tennis players because of an Israeli citizenship.
April:16:2009 - 21:16
With all due respect, if he had been a Jew from Israel, I seriously doubt he would have been awarded the prize, let alone be given a visa to Saudi Arabia!
I had also written last year on whether someone of the Jewish faith could easily visit Saudi Arabia: http://americanbedu.com/2008/09/03/are-jews-allowed-in-the-kingdom/
Regards,
Carol
April:20:2009 - 09:02
I wonder if the king is trying to send a social signal here, that it is acceptable for Saudis to invite Jews to Saudi Arabia for short visits, as long as no mention is made of Zionism.
April:20:2009 - 09:11
I think disentangling Judaism from Zionism is a worthwhile goal for Saudi Arabia.
I’ve been in situations where Saudis suddenly realize that the person they are talking to is Jewish and it stuns them. All the stereotypical behavior they had been raised to expect are missing. The Jews were actually reasonable interlocutors, not baby-eating monsters. Getting more people into Saudi Arabia–Jewish or not–can only help get rid of the xenophobia that still runs through Saudi society.
April:20:2009 - 20:21
Saudis are taught that Jews are “baby-eating monsters”?
April:21:2009 - 07:18
Okay… perhaps not ‘baby-eating’, just the old Blood Libel, being accused of using the blood of Christian and Muslim children to make their pastries for Purim.
It’s not part of the school curriculum, but is passed on by figures in authority who firmly believe and repeat it, sometimes in print.