“The president will reaffirm his strong commitment to Israel’s security,” he stressed.
Afterwards, Biden will meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, probably in the city of Bethlehem, according to the source.
Biden will emphasize “his lifelong commitment to a two-state solution” and restore US ties with the Palestinians, “almost severed” under his predecessor, Donald Trump (2017-2021).
History and controversy
The part of the ride that will make history, and generate the most buzz, is the end.
Biden’s flight from Israel to Jeddah will be the first by an American president going directly from a Jewish state to an Arab kingdom that does not recognize its neighbor. In 2017, Trump made that trip but in reverse.
Once there, Biden will attend the Gulf Cooperation Council with leaders from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, in addition to being accompanied by the authorities of Egypt, Iraq and Jordan, the US official detailed.
A priority for Biden will be to maintain the recently extended truce in the Yemen conflict, as well as deter Iran from potential threats, “promote human rights and ensure global food and energy security,” he said.
Biden will also join a virtual summit of the so-called I2-U2 diplomatic group of India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, with a focus on “the food security crisis” caused by the invasion launched in late February by Russia. against neighboring Ukraine, the main agricultural exporter.
However, the most watched meeting will be between Biden and MBS.
“We can expect the president to see the crown prince,” the US official said, while rejecting the idea that Biden is straying from his principles.
“US policy called for a recalibration of relations” after Khashoggi’s assassination, “not a break,” he said.
In that sense, he said that Saudi Arabia has been a strategic partner of the United States for eight decades and is home to some 70,000 Americans and that it is “the smartest thing” that can be done right now for the region.