Rabbi Jacob Herzog, who calls himself the chief rabbi of Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday said he was denied entry into the country.
He was barred despite having a valid entry visa and living in Saudi Arabia for the last few years, he wrote in a post on X.
Saudi immigration authorities at the airport and the interior minister did not clarify the reason for the denial of entry to Herzog.
Herzog suggested that the Saudi government and royal court were not involved, but rather that the move was initiated by “dark forces seeking to obstruct the path of reform, openness, and tolerance that the Kingdom is pursuing with determination.”
Deep love for the Saudi people
“I once again affirm my unconditional loyalty to King Salman bin Abdulaziz, my deep love for the Saudi people, and my firm conviction that this situation will be rectified,” he wrote. “For I have full confidence in the justice and integrity of the Saudi system.”
Herzog bemoaned that he would be kept away from his community in Saudi Arabia because of the incident. He had previously said thousands of Jews work there.
Chabad sources have said Herzog does not represent their movement, and that calling himself the chief rabbi of Saudi Arabia was an independent operation.
The Saudi Media Ministry did not respond to The Jerusalem Post’s requests for comment.