After snubbing Israel for two days in favor of paying homage to the Palestinian Authority, President Biden left the Holy Land for Saudi Arabia on Friday, where the tables were turned, and the Saudis snubbed the President of the United States.
Before traveling to Israel, Biden’s office informed Israel that the standard ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport honoring visiting dignitaries would be curtailed. Handshakes were also going to be proscribed due to COVID concerns, and pundits conjectured that the ‘shake-less’ Israel visit was in preparation for a Presidential snub of the Saudis who had fallen in disfavor due to the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi in 2018. Biden refused to call Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for several weeks after he took office as per his campaign promise to turn the Saudi allies into a “pariah.” But a trip to Saudi Arabia was scheduled after a visit to Israel. This change of heart was due to the record high gasoline cost at the US pumps. Biden had already called the Saudis to increase oil production, but they had not returned his call. Just a few weeks before his first trip to the region, Biden announced that he would not meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on his visit to Saudi Arabia. The president was going to meet with the Saudi prince, but there would be no handshake. Source: Israel365