Why Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia is a stab in his voters' back
5 Min Read
For those who had hope in Biden as a champion of human rights, that is soon about to change with his intended trip to Saudi Arabia.
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Bowing to the prince?
After news surfaced regarding a planned visit for Joe Biden to Saudi Arabia and "Israel", those who believed he would be a champion for human rights and distance himself from Saudi Arabia, or in his words, the "pariah", have gotten what feels like a slap in the face.
Read more: White House says Biden's 'pariah' remarks of Saudi Arabia still stand
CNN reported that Biden would meet with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) who was accused by US intelligence of ordering the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
According to Foreign Affairs, not only is Biden most likely going to gain nothing from the visit, but it will also forever tarnish his image.
The first leg of Biden's trip is a usual one for all American presidents as he will visit the Israeli occupation.
However, after the IOF murdered a Palestinian-American journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, and assaulted Al-Aqsa Mosque and Al-Quds for the last months, tensions are high, and Biden would benefit from addressing these crimes. That possibility, of course, is a stretch.
"Israel" is likely to cry to Biden about the Iranian nuclear deal and once again put on a global show warning of its paranoid and imagined possible attacks from Iran, although it is the IOF simulating a widescale strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, instead of allowing Biden to address its crimes against Palestinians.
Given the rise in oil prices caused by the Ukraine war, higher oil output must be at the top of Biden's wishlist for a visit.
It is unclear whether the move would have more than a minor influence on gas costs in the US, or whether Biden will be able to extract additional concessions that might help Americans.
Furthermore, the Saudis are unlikely to break with the Russians, who co-chair the OPEC+ group, forever to respond to US pressure. Saudi Arabia has received major gains from increased oil prices. Saudi Aramco, the national oil corporation, recorded an 82% increase in earnings over the previous year in the first quarter of this year, with quarterly income climbing from $22 billion to $40 billion.
The Saudis have also said unequivocally that they attribute the high price of oil to causes other than their contribution to supply, such as insufficient refining capacity investment, and that they are disinterested in releasing much more supply. "The kingdom has done what it can," a Saudi royal told a Davos audience in May.
According to Israeli media, Biden is set to announce a Saudi accord allowing Israeli aircraft to fly through Saudi airspace, which the Israelis have been pursuing as a step toward normalization. However, from the standpoint of US interests, such a meager agreement would scarcely justify a presidential visit, endangering the credibility of a president who professes to be placing human rights at the core of US foreign policy.
Read next: Israeli-Saudi covert normalization comes to light
Biden's visit can be to keep Saudi Arabia on the side of the US and away from Russia and China, as unrealistic as that may be, particularly considering how well their relationships have gotten in recent years.
Read more: Moscow: Russian, Saudi foreign ministers praise OPEC+
Biden came into office eager to reverse Trump's damaging Middle East policy. It would be ironic and a stab in the back to his voters, if his agenda began to resemble that of his predecessor.
By ignoring human rights, supporting authoritarianism, increasing military commitments, and fostering the notion that the Saudis are at the core of US security policy in the region, Biden risks copying Trump's approach. If Biden is traveling to the Middle East, he should make it count by putting his own stamp on regional diplomacy rather than continuing his predecessor's actions.
There are other options. Biden is not required to meet with MBS in Riyadh. If he wants to give a broader dimension to his trip to "Israel", he should conduct a regional summit in a more neutral Arab Gulf country like Oman. Such a meeting may focus on attempts to de-escalate violence, such as converting the extension of the UN-brokered truce in Yemen into a long-term peace pact. As unpleasant as it would be, Biden could meet with MBS in a multilateral context.
A regional gathering would allow for the involvement of additional partners, de-emphasizing personal issues and bilateral quid pro quos in favor of resolving the region's deadly problems.
Any presidential travel to a foreign country is fraught with risk, and the stakes in Saudi Arabia couldn't be greater. The crucial question is whether Biden would achieve anything of permanent value to US interests to justify such an obvious concession on values. There are alternative ways to achieve US objectives in the region, including establishing a working partnership with Saudi Arabia, without jeopardizing the president's legitimacy or abandoning human rights.
