At the airport in the city of Jeddah, Biden had previously been received by Chalid al-Faisal, Governor of Mecca, and Rima bint Bandar, Ambassador to the United States – in view of their rank, a clear rebuff for the US President. The arrival also contrasted sharply with Biden’s arrival in Israel, where President Izchak Herzog and Prime Minister Jair Lapid had earlier welcomed him with a ceremony.
The White House had announced before the trip that Biden wanted to avoid physical contact as much as possible. However, when meeting King Salman on Friday evening, the two heads of state shook hands for several seconds. After the reception, both delegations came together for a working meeting. At a long conference table in the palace, Biden and the crown prince sat opposite each other, surrounded by ministers and other government officials.
A face-to-face meeting between the two would have been impossible at the beginning of Biden’s tenure. He is now trying, accompanied by criticism, to bring about a normalization of relations with Saudi Arabia, which Biden had described as a “pariah” during his election campaign.
US fuel prices and the nuclear conflict
He now wants to reassert US influence in the Middle East, Biden explained his visit. The trip to Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s largest oil producers, is not least due to the rising fuel prices in the USA. Another focus is the assumed expansion of nuclear capacities in Iran. An agreement on a new nuclear deal with Iran seems a long way off. Because of these developments, Biden needs the support of Saudi Arabia. Reaching out to Riyadh, and Salman in particular, is a U-turn by Biden.
“The mere fact that MBS[Prince Salman n.d.]has managed to maintain his position domestically makes him the necessary interlocutor if you want to talk to Saudi Arabia,” said Cinzia Bianco of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) to The New York Times (“NYT”). Biden’s visit also strengthens the prince’s position in the country, the newspaper said.
“Institutionalization of Violence”
During the election campaign, Biden promised to hold the Saudi leadership accountable for human rights violations and the murder of journalist Jamal Chaschoggi. Chaschoggi was killed by a hit squad in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in autumn 2018. US intelligence services blame Crown Prince Salman – the de facto ruler of the kingdom.
Biden visits the Middle East
US President Joe Biden has been criticized in many places for his visit to Saudi Arabia. Biden meets Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is thought to have commissioned the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia was therefore heavily criticized in advance. Before his trip to Saudi Arabia, Biden emphasized that he always addresses human rights. However, he left open whether he wanted to address the murder of Chaschoggi. His position on this is clear: “If someone doesn’t understand that, be it in Saudi Arabia or elsewhere, they haven’t been listening.”
The 36-year-old Salman initially presented himself as a reformer who, for example, allowed women to drive and allowed banned cinemas and concerts again. However, his rule was characterized by the “institutionalization of violence”, analyzed the “NYT”. Activists and critics were imprisoned, Yemen was attacked.
Riyadh opens airspace
On the occasion of the trip, Saudi Arabia made a sign of relaxation right from the start and opened its airspace for flights to and from Israel. Biden hailed this decision as “historic”. Originally, there was an almost complete ban on overflights over Saudi Arabia for flights to and from Israel.
The Gulf monarchy had already lifted this for flights between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The two Gulf countries established diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020, mediated by the United States.
Declaration with Israel: No nuclear weapons for Tehran
On his first trip to the Middle East since taking office, Biden previously stopped in Israel and the West Bank. Biden met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem on Friday. The US President again spoke out in favor of a two-state solution in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Biden referred to Abbas as his “friend”. The key to peace and security is the recognition of a Palestinian state, Abbas stressed. However, there was no real progress during Biden’s Middle East visit.
In Israel on Thursday, Biden reiterated the US’ “unwavering commitment” to Israel’s security. A key part of that pledge is a commitment never to allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, said a statement signed by Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid.
Lapid threatened Iran with violence: “The only thing that will stop Iran is the certainty that the free world will use violence if the country further expands its nuclear program.” Iran could only with a “credible military threat”. possession of nuclear weapons are discouraged.