US commission ends Saudi trip early after Jewish chair told to remove kippah head covering

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An American diplomatic trip to a World Heritage site in Saudi Arabia was cut short Monday when authorities demanded a Jewish member of the group remove his religious head covering, which he refused to do.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) ended a visit to the Diriyah UNESCO World Heritage Site in Riyadh following the incident involving Chair Abraham Cooper, who is also a rabbi.

Saudi authorities had asked Cooper to remove his kippah. The delegation was escorted off the premises after Cooper indicated that as an observant Jew, he couldn't comply with the request.

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"No one should be denied access to a heritage site, especially one intended to highlight unity and progress, simply for existing as a Jew," Cooper said in a statement. "Saudi Arabia is in the midst of encouraging change under its 2030 Vision. However, especially in a time of raging antisemitism, being asked to remove my kippah made it impossible for us from USCIRF to continue our visit."

"We note, with particular regret, that this happened to a representative of a U.S. government agency promoting religious freedom," he added. "USCIRF looks forward to continuing conversations with the Saudi government about how to address the