From the Liveblog of
Thursday, March 30, 2023
US embassies of Israel, Bahrain and Azerbaijan co-host Iftar meal
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
WASHINGTON — The embassies of Israel, Bahrain and Azerbaijan in Washington co-hosted an Iftar meal last night at the Watergate Hotel attended by senior government officials and diplomats from around the world.
“In fulfilling this blessed tradition, our event sent the message of building interfaith, inter-communal & interregional bridges & advancing a brighter future together,” Israel’s Ambassador to the US Michael Herzog tweets afterward.
“As I looked up at the crowd, I couldn’t help but realize that I was looking at the new Middle East: peace, prosperity and hope for a brighter future for all!” tweets Bahrain’s Ambassador Abdulla R. Al-Khalifa.
“The message is clear: peace, friendship, interfaith dialogue, regional bonds & shared values will trump the challenges we face!” writes Azerbaijan’s envoy Khazar Ibrahim.
Food for the meal was cooked by world-renowned Israeli chef Michael Solomonov, whose Zahav restaurant received the James Beard Award in 2019 for best US restaurant.
Among those in attendance were UAE Ambassador to the US Yousef al-Otaiba, US antisemitism envoy Deborah Lipstadt and Republican Representative Victoria Spartz of Indiana.
The Times of Israel Community.