As I have reported, the dishonorable Saudis have gone back on their word a mere 3 months after becoming members of the WTO by organizing and participating in a conference designed to strengthen through better coordination the Arab boycott against Israel. The Saudis claim that they are merely"hosting" not"organizing" the conference though they will have to representatives participating in the conference. They are"strenuously" denying that they have agreed to end the boycott as a condition of joining the WTO. But, of course, they did.

The Khaleej Times reported in September:

Saudi Arabia said on Monday it would deal with all members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) after its anticipated accession to the organization.

The brief comment by Trade and Industry Minister Hashem Yamani followed a US statement that Saudi Arabia had agreed to allow trade with Israel as part of a key deal with Washington setting the stage for Riyadh to join the WTO.

"The kingdom will deal with all WTO member states when it joins the organization, in keeping with WTO agreements," Yamani told the official SPA news agency.

According to international lawyers to act the WTO needs Israel to begin legal proceedings against the Saudis. The ambassador Levanon said that"as a new WTO member, Saudi Arabia 'should be more cautious' about its actions toward another WTO member." But an official complaint will have to follow, not precede, the conference.

WTO chief Pascal Lamy and Eirik Glenne, chairman of the WTO's ruling general council warned that Saudi Arabia should"not violate the rules of the WTO." And U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman also said that Saudi behavior"is a big concern of the United States, of course, because we worked with Saudi Arabia on the issue of their WTO accession."

The Saudi delegation to the WTO is difficult to reach.