Biden greets Saudi crown prince with fist bump
by Morgan Chalfant - 07/15/22 12:49 PM ET
President Biden greeted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with a fist bump on Friday ahead of the controversial face-to-face meeting between the two men in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Footage displayed on Saudi state television showed Biden emerging from his limo and fist-bumping the crown prince, who is known by his initials MBS, before the two entered Al Salam Royal Palace.
Biden then met privately with King Salman of Saudi Arabia, before holding a larger meeting with his team, MBS and Saudi ministers. Reporters were briefly allowed into the room, capturing images of Biden, MBS and other officials seated at a long table inside the palace.
There had been questions leading up to the meeting Friday about how Biden would greet the crown prince, whom Biden previously condemned on the campaign trail over the murder of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
The White House said the president would “minimize contact” with other officials on the multi-day trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia, citing the spread of COVID-19 variants. But that policy led to speculation that Biden would use it as an excuse to avoid shaking hands with MBS, and Biden complicated the plans by shaking some hands while in Israel.
Still, the Saudi foreign ministry quickly publicized images of Biden fist-bumping and walking with MBS. Images released by the government also showed Biden shaking hands with the Saudi king.
The meeting between Biden and MBS has been intensely controversial due to the U.S. intelligence community assessment that the crown prince approved the assassination of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Biden told reporters Thursday that he does not shy away from raising human rights issues in meetings with other leaders but stopped short of committing to discussing Khashoggi’s murder with MBS.
“The president believes very strongly that his ability to be effective as a leader and his ability to engage effectively diplomatically depends on his ability to be able to have direct diplomacy without playing out all of these issues in the press,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters aboard Air Force One earlier Friday.
“Now, what he will stand behind and send a very clear message on, and did yesterday, is the proposition that fundamental issues of human rights are going to be on the agenda,” Sullivan added.
While campaigning for president in 2020, Biden pledged to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” over Khashoggi’s murder. The president took a cooler approach to the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia during his first year in office than his predecessor, Donald Trump.
The White House announced plans for Biden’s Middle East trip, including a stop in Saudi Arabia, earlier this year amid domestic pressure over high gas prices.
Biden is expected to discuss energy security in his meetings with the Saudis, though the White House has signaled there will not be an immediate announcement on boosting oil production on the trip.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/3561192-biden-greets-saudi-crown-prince-with-fist-bump/
