President Biden is expected to meet with Saudi Arabian officials after coming to Israel next month. Biden confirmed that a trip to Saudi Arabia does not come just because of the need to bring down high oil prices, and further said that "any such trip will be for the sake of a big meeting for discussions for regional security."
In what could have been the biggest hint as to why Biden is coming to Israel and then to Saudi Arabia, Israel's Foreign Minister, Yair Lapid said it is no coincidence that Biden is flying to Saudi after visiting Israel. Remarks that came after Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, without mentioning President Trump's Biggest Achievement, the Abraham Accords, hinted that Saudi is warming to Israel to the point that an agreement is now possible.
These remarks come in the wake of numerous reports of desires on both ends to accelerate efforts to promote normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Biden in response to a question yesterday as to whether this is one of the purposes of his travels he replied: "We will see."
BREAKING: Israeli FM @yairlapid just hinted Saudi Arabia may be on the verge of joining the Abraham Accords.
— Daniel Cohen (@DanielCohenTV) June 15, 2022
Israel is for it.
In May I interviewed @JoelCRosenberg, who called peace between 🇮🇱 and 🇸🇦 “the Mother of all Middle East peace deals,” worthy of a Nobel prize.
🔊 https://t.co/1utJPar9ZR pic.twitter.com/FX81o3RvbM
The efforts of the Trump Administration to have Saudi Arabia warm to Israel has continued even after Trump left office in January 2021. Last month, Jared Kushner accomplished the remarkable by establishing a Saudi Arabian investment fund that bridges the Israeli innovation sector with the Sunni Arab Kingdom. Saudi Arabia has committed $2 Billion to the Israel investment fund.
In any case on the next visit of the President to the region, Biden is expected to make history, with current plans suggesting he will fly on a direct flight from Ben Gurion Airport in Israel to Saudi Arabia, on his private Air Force 1 plane.
You’re not wrong Jay… https://t.co/xmrUO7PPeZ
— Daniel Cohen (@DanielCohenTV) June 15, 2022
In other reports, senior officials in the Biden administration had made it clear to Saudi officials that they intended to "initialize and reset" relations between the two countries. According to one report, a Biden official signaled to Riyadh that they do not intend on discussing the crisis caused by Biden's criticism of the involvement of Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman in the murder of journalist Jamal Khushkji in 2018.
Saudi Arabia has also recently expressed more optimism regarding this new possibility of normalization. For example, the Saudi Deputy Defense Minister during his visit to Washington revealed that "more and more people in the kingdom are interested in promoting relations with Israel, especially citizens under the age of 30." Sources in the kingdom told Western media that normalization with Israel is simply a matter of time.
I am a Saudi and I stand with the State of Israel against all extremist Islamic terrorist groups❤️🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/MRp2UsrWO9
— Bandar Al-Otaibi (@wo8r_) June 9, 2022
Officially, Saudi Arabia continues to insist that there will be no change in relations between the two countries without a change in Israeli policy regarding the Palestinians. However, there are many who argue that in its early steps the normalization will be purely for fiscal and security reasons.
Biden's visit to the kingdom comes first and foremost with the aim of renewing the murky relations between the President and Muhammad bin Salman, as the world struggles with record-high fuel prices. U.S. fuel prices have been reaching $10 a gallon in some American regions.
