editorials
P resident Joe Biden’s visit to Israel
last week, for the first leg of his
four-day visit to the Middle East,
reflected the remarkably strong bonds
that have developed between Israel
and the United States. Israel rolled
out a warm and embracing welcome
for their returning “brother Joseph,”
and Biden clearly reveled in the joy of
reuniting with dear friends.

Biden has a half-century rela-
tionship with Israel and had visited
the country nine times before. This
was, however, his first visit as pres-
ident. Visits to Israel by the presi-
dent of the United States are not
a common occurrence. Indeed, in
Israel’s early decades U.S. admin-
istrations kept the Jewish state at
arm’s length. It wasn’t until 1974 that
Richard Nixon became the first U.S.

president to make the trip, followed
by visits by Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton,
George W. Bush, Barack Obama and
Donald Trump.

And now Biden — a man who
declared on the welcoming tarmac
at Ben Gurion Airport that “the con-
nection between the Israeli people
and the American people is bone
deep.” He showed that sentiment
and emotion throughout his visit.

For example, when Biden met two
Holocaust survivors at Yad Vashem,
he asked them to sit when they
rose to greet him. And he then knelt
before the survivors as he spoke
with them.

Biden left a wreath at Yad
Vashem’s Hall of Remembrance
where he wrote a deeply touching
message in the visitor’s book: “It is
a great honor to be back — back to
my emotional home. We must never,
ever forget because hate is never
defeated — it only hides. We must
teach every emerging generation
that it can happen again unless we
remember. That is what I teach my
children and grandchildren — never
forget.” Biden attended the opening cere-
mony of the Maccabiah games and
spoke with the U.S. delegation of
players. And he got a chance to see
some of Israel’s defensive technol-
ogy, including the new laser defense
system, Iron Beam.

There were politically significant
events, including meetings with
Prime Minister Yair Lapid, former
Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett
and Benjamin Netanyahu and with
President Isaac Herzog. During one
meeting with Lapid, Biden signed a
declaration that the United States
will do all it can to prevent Iran from
obtaining nuclear weapons.

Biden also extended a very public
and inviting hand to the Palestinians.

He toured a Palestinian hospital in
East Jerusalem, where he announced
$316 million in aid for Palestinians.

And he met with Palestinian Authority
President Mahmoud Abbas where
he expressed support for the cre-
ation of a Palestinian state, even as
he acknowledged that the time was
not right for peace talks.

In contrast to other aspects of
his Middle East trip, Biden’s Israel
visit had no drama, had no tension
and was an easy lift. We join in
celebrating the success of the visit
and its reflection of the extraordi-
nary relationship that has developed
between the U.S. and Israel. May it
continue to grow and strengthen. JE
Joe Biden’s Saudi Adventure
P resident Joe Biden’s visit to Israel
had all the joy and good feelings
of a family simcha — including visits
with all of the feuding relatives who
make up the intricate web of Israel’s
complex political tapestry. But the
second leg of his trip, to Saudi Arabia,
had neither joy nor good feelings.

Instead, Biden’s closely watched
visit to the kingdom was more akin
to an obligatory, solemn tribute visit
to a Mafia boss who demands fealty,
respect and deference, but provides
nothing in return.

We are not accustomed to seeing
our nation’s president put in that
position, especially on otherwise
friendly foreign soil. And it makes
us wonder what the Biden team was
thinking in planning for the Saudi
visit and what they think they accom-
plished while there.

12 JULY 21, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
Before his visit to Riyadh, Biden
pledged to confront Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman — the
36-year-old de-facto leader of Saudi
Arabia, colloquially known as MBS
— for ordering the brutal killing and
dismemberment of journalist Jamal
Khashoggi. And he promised to make
Saudi Arabia “pay the price, and make
them, in fact, the pariah that they are,”
over that murder and the kingdom’s
dismal human rights record.

As to the former, Biden claims he
challenged MBS over the Khashoggi
murder, and the Saudis say that he
didn’t. And as to the latter, there is
little evidence of any serious efforts
to address human rights concerns
and absolutely no evidence of pariah
treatment. Indeed, the opposite
appears to be the case.

Biden wants the Saudis to raise
their oil output so increased sup-
ply will drive down prices — includ-
ing, hopefully, the price at American
gas pumps as midterm elections
approach. And Biden has apparently
concluded that the United States
cannot walk away from the Middle
East entirely, because the vacuum
left by America will be filled by Iran,
Russia and China. So, he sought to
reassure Arab countries that they’re
doing the right thing by remain-
ing with Team America. As such,
although MBS may be a murderous
thug, we don’t want him to be some-
one else’s murderous thug.

And knowing that a handshake,
respectful bow or other embrace
of the Saudi leader would convey
either too much respect or a per-
sonal closeness, Biden went for the
fist bump — a move that generated
even more criticism for its perceived
friendly gesture between two sym-
patico bros. Perhaps he should have
bumped elbows, instead.

Biden left the kingdom with an
unclear commitment on oil pro-
duction. On human rights and the
Khashoggi murder, he got nothing.

Yet, despite the disappointments,
Biden came away from the meetings
as the nice guy we all know him to
be. There were no grand gestures.

Nor was there finger pointing or
demands. Instead, he pursued work-
manlike efforts to solidify common
international concerns — particularly
focused upon Iran, but also relating
to Russia.

We continue to wonder why Biden
made the trip. At the end of Biden’s
Saudi adventure, there was only one
winner: Mohammed bin Salman. JE
flickr, Haim Zach, GPO
Joe Biden Comes Home to Israel