Biden lands in Israel at start of high-stakes Middle East visit and historic meetings
- Biden will spend two days in Jerusalem for discussions with Israeli leaders before meeting the Palestinian president then flying to Jedda for talks
- It’s hoped the trip will help towards normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia, historic foes but two of US’s strongest allies in the turbulent region
US President Joe Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday, kicking off a high-stakes trip to the Middle East dominated by efforts to persuade Gulf allies to pump more oil and bring Israel and Saudi Arabia closer together.
Biden will spend two days in Jerusalem for talks with Israeli leaders before meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday in the occupied West Bank.
Afterwards, he will take a direct flight from Israel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – a first for an American president – on Friday for talks with Saudi officials and to attend a summit of Gulf allies.
US officials say the trip – Biden’s first to the Middle East as president – could produce more steps towards normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia, historic foes but also two of America’s strongest allies in the turbulent region.
“We’re making steps gradually toward that end”, said an Israeli official, adding that the fact Biden will fly directly from Israel to Saudi Arabia “encapsulates a lot of the dynamics that have been evolving over the last months”.
Biden’s trip aims to promote regional stability, deepen Israel’s integration in the region and counter Iranian influence and aggression by Russia and China.
