Accompanying UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Orly Azoulay (pictured) became the first Israeli journalist to visit Saudi Arabia. Azoulay, the Washington bureau chief for Yediot Aharonot writes in YNet News that she’s not just covering the Arab summit, she’s actually part of the story:
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who is currently engaged in promoting the Saudi peace initiative between Israel and the Arab states, wanted to convey a placating message: He believed that if he brought a joint delegation comprising Arab journalists and an Israeli media representative on the same plane, he would succeed in partially breaking the ice.
This is my only diplomatic achievement during the three months I have been in office, the secretary general told me with a broad smile on his face while on board the flight to Riyadh.
Earlier this week, the Saudis tried to bar Azoulay from entering the country. Her presence is a welcome development, but will the summit she’s covering lead to a more meaningful achievement for Ban?
