Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said Friday that he would attend the upcoming Annapolis conference, but would not shake any Jewish leader’s hand in public. Al-Faisal said that previous public handshakes had been turned into a “theatrical show.”
Al-Faisal said his country had been reluctant to attend the conference, and agreed to go only after other Arab League countries expressed support. Many Arab League nations have agreed to attend the conference despite their failure to receive a promise that Israel and the Palestinian Authority will discuss “core issues.”