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Why is US President Joe Biden visiting Israel and Saudi Arabia?

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Vivek Mishra
Vivek MishraJul 13, 2022 | 17:03

Why is US President Joe Biden visiting Israel and Saudi Arabia?

Joe Biden is expected to persuade Saudi Arabia and its neighbours to pump more oil. (Photo: PTI)

US President Joe Biden has been a vocal critic of the Saudi Arabia. But, as part of his first Middle East visit as the President, Biden will be visiting Saudi after a 3-day stay in Israel. His Middle East visit will focus on asking Saudi to produce more oil, finding a way to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and improving Israel-Palestine relations.

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Joe Biden will be arriving in Israel on Wednesday. He will spend two days in Jerusalem, where he will hold talks with Israeli leaders. On Friday, he will be meeting Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank.

After that, he will take a flight from Israel to Saudi Arabia capital Jeddah.

Why the visit now?

  • Biden is expected to persuade Saudi Arabia and its neighbours to pump more oil in order to control the high fuel prices. The Saudis are one of the biggest energy producers in the world and are already producing near their full capacity of 11 million barrels of oil per day.
  • One of the key focuses of Biden's visit is to find a way to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Israel views Iran as its greatest threat, and Sunni Arab countries consider Shiite Iran as a dangerous competitor. Biden would like to use this as a reason to bring Israel and Saudi Arabia closer.
  • Even though Israel's relations with some Gulf countries have improved, there has not been any real progress in the Israel-Palestine ties. Biden will be meeting the Israeli leaders before visiting Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian authority, in Jeruselum.
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Joe Biden salutes as he boards Air Force One for a trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia. (Photo: AP)

Talks with India: Biden will also be convening a virtual summit with the leaders of Israel, India and the United Arab Emirates under the I2U2. The I2U2 – comprising India, Israel, the UAE and the US – was established in October 2021 following an initiative by the four countries’ foreign ministers as part of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Israel, reported PTI.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would participate virtually in the meeting.

Bottom line: Amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, US needs a large amount of oil supply from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries to keep the fuel prices from reaching sky-high levels. Also, to stop Iran from becoming a threat, US need Israel and other Gulf countries to have good relations. These reasons make Biden's Middle East visit an important geopolitical event in the region.

Last updated: July 13, 2022 | 17:03
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