Joe Biden is on difficult ground. After his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, even the greeting between the two is cause for discussion.
U.S. President Joe Biden has arrived in Saudi Arabia for his controversial visit. After all, Biden is there to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is accused of ordering the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
And even though Biden’s reception was cool compared to that of his predecessor Donald Trump, a snapshot of the encounter caused a stir in some quarters. Upon his arrival at the royal palace in the coastal city of Jeddah, he and the crown prince greeted each other by fist bump.
In U.S. media, the trip – and the fist salute – is a big topic. The visit to Saudi Arabia is interpreted in part as Biden’s broken campaign promise to make the Saudi leadership an “outsider,” and the fist salute as a conciliatory gesture.
In Israel, hands were shaken
Biden probably avoided a handshake with “MBS” thanks to the corona pandemic. “We try to minimize contact as much as possible,” Biden’s spokeswoman had said, referring to Corona, during the trip to Israel. There, Biden greeted his hosts partly with an outstretched fist, but also shook hands – such as those of opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu.
At Jeddah’s airport, Biden had previously been received by Chalid al-Faisal, governor of Mecca, and Rima bint Bandar, ambassador to the United States – a clear snub for the U.S. president in view of their rank. The arrival also contrasted sharply with Biden’s arrival in Israel, where its President Izchak Herzog and Prime Minister Jair Lapid had earlier welcomed him with a solemn ceremony.
Obama also received a cool reception in Saudi Arabia – unlike Trump
The cool reception is reminiscent of a visit by former U.S. President Barack Obama, who was received in Riyadh in 2016 by the governor there, Prince Faisal bin Bandar Al Saud. Obama’s arrival was also not broadcast on Saudi state television, as is customary during visits by heads of state and government to the kingdom. Shortly before, King Salman was seen greeting other senior representatives of neighboring states from the region on the tarmac instead.
Donald Trump, who as U.S. president maintained particularly good relations with the kingdom’s rulers, was warmly received during a visit to Riyadh in 2017. King Salman greeted Trump at the airport, and Trump in turn later put on an interlude of saber dancing and bowed deeply to the ruler. The visit produced images of warm and generous gestures.
In contrast, dissenters from the Saudi regime at home are prosecuted harshly. They are arbitrarily imprisoned, tortured or executed, a group of 13 human rights organizations recently reiterated. In March, the kingdom executed 81 people in a single day.
In Yemen, Saudi Arabia and allies are bombing Huthi rebel positions, a civil war that has killed more than 150,000 people and had devastating humanitarian consequences. Riyadh has long been one of the largest buyers of arms from the United States.
