This week, President Biden makes his first trip to the Middle East
as president will travel to Israel and the occupied West Bank and
finally to Saudi Arabia to meet the King and Crown Prince. It is
delicate diplomacy for administration, hoping to lower gas prices
and advanced regional cooperation. But that's also promised to make
human rights the center of its foreign policy.
In today's Middle East. The pomp and circumstance is often reserved
for this man. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman 36 year olds
been on a regional tour as the man who will be king.
He's trying to modernize the kingdom socially, economically and religiously.
US. Officials also believe he is the source of the kingdom Suppression
models, Rudy
Intelligence officials say he is believed to have personally blessed
the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside Saudi Arabia.
Istanbul consulate the following year candidate Biden promised punishment
would make it very clear we were not going to, in fact sell more
weapons to them.
We were going to, in fact, make them pay the price and make them
in fact, the pariah that they are human rights will be the center
of our foreign policy. Despite those words and warnings, President
Biden says now is the time to visit Saudi Arabia to discuss the ongoing
truce in Yemen and increase oil production
triple also further integrate Israel into the region.
Two weeks after Naftali Bennett handed the prime minister, ship to
peace
Already Israel, US and Arab militaries are working together on a
regional air Defense alliance using Israeli missile defense technology.
The regional cooperation is a product of a common enemy, Iran and
its advancing missile technology.
It's also the outgrowth of the Trump Administration's efforts to
normalize Arab Israeli relations. Would Biden is not reversing Trump
era policy changes in Israel, including the declaration that Jewish
settlements on the occupied West Bank are not a violation of international
law.
And what it means for the region. I'm joined by Shibley Telhami,
professor at the University of Maryland and senior fellow at the
Brookings Institution. Let's start in the kingdom. In all of his
public comments about this trip, President Biden has de emphasized
the idea of the tripping about oil or even being about meeting the
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
How big of a of an issue is oil actually for this trip, and that
meeting with MBS
Obviously, the president wants to see, uh you know, lower oil prices
and the Saudi area to produce more. That's something that he does,
But honestly, that wasn't on that would not have necessarily let
him to go to Saudi Saudi Univision. Porton used to deal with it.
Despite all of the reservations that people have been going, there
is a completely different order, and I think, the president himself
said
That he was drinking more cigarette Israel meaning getting normalization
with Saudi Arabia and I actually believe them because they relations
heavily lobbied him to do so because it is a strategic price for
them, commissioned a poll asking Americans if they support this trip,
and there's an interesting result that you have only 24%.
Right there at the top, say they approve of this trip to Israel and
Saudi Arabia. Why do you think that number is that case and is the
number also relatively low among Democrats. I think it's partly because
Um, sorry. Arabia and Israel are not exactly issues that resonate
with the Democrats. Republicans are not going to approve anything
that might doesn't quite a constituency obviously doesn't like the
seventies over human rights issue.
Uh, and also because they were associated with big pro Trump and
all of Trump and Jared Kushner. But on the Israeli side, frankly,
don't back constituency is not where the president is most of them
what Israel to be even to be the US even had it towards Israel and
the Palestinians.
So let's talk about the Palestinians. US officials. I talked to say
there will not be any announcements reversing Trump era policies,
for example, reopening the consulate in Jerusalem or changing trump
era policies on the settlements. What do you think? President Biden's
visit with Palestinian Authority President Abu Mazin? How will that
be received? Well, let's be honest. This is your token visit. He's
going to siding every event, Israel and obviously, Democrats expect
him include question Democrats expect him not to ignore the Palestinian
issues. You will meet
Without best, and he'll probably announce some aid to the Palestinians,
but he wouldn't announce anything like moving the consulate back
to Jerusalem. Because Israel is don't want it. Is he going to stand
there and express more empathy above the occupation and the need
to end the occupation? And is he going to meet with the family of
slain
American Palestinian journalist Serena Broccoli, as many people have
been demanding. That's really the question that we are going to be
watching for Each of these trips, of course, have the liberals, actual
concrete actions and announcements that come with them. Do you believe
that the actions and decisions that come out of this trip will advance
regional cooperation, which is what the Israel wants, of course,
or Israel? Saudi normalization as you were talking about earlier
Well, Obviously there's a real issue study areas the big prize, but
they all understand that that's not gonna happen on this trip. What
the is likely to happen is the service will announce some measures
toward normalization, such as overfly to possibly in missile defense.
But let's be clear the Israelis will be winners
I because any signaling from the Saudis toward normalization
That's going to help them. But even more importantly than that, think
about it for more than our ruler set. Our Arab rulers think they've
long thought that the shortest path to Washington goes through Israel.
Now it's on a whole different order because our rulers believe it
was just really the these realities who helped bring Trump.
Decide he Arabia at the at the when he first went on his first international
trip, And in here, the president of the U. S, a Democrat who doesn't
like Trump, who didn't like the salaries, who called in the fryer.
Can't going to Saudi Arabia for Israel. That power matters a lot
with Israelis as leverage as they deal with our brewers.
Hani joining us from Israel. Thank you very much.
My pleasure.