He may not spend as much tee time as his predecessor, but President Joe Biden has played enough golf to know he should be wary of gimmes. That is the approach he should take to Saudi Arabia’s conditions for normalization of relations with Israel.
The kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has reportedly asked for American security guarantees, a loosening of restrictions on U.S. arms sales and help in developing a civilian nuclear program, in exchange for joining other Arab nations in signing the Abraham Accords. The accords, brokered by President Donald Trump, have enabled Israel to develop diplomatic, commercial and security ties with two of Saudi Arabia’s neighbors, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
Getting other Arab states to join the accords is one of Biden’s key foreign-policy goals, and the Saudi prince’s signature would be a huge prize. It would also be a crowning achievement for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — as well as providing much-needed relief from the opprobrium he has been receiving from much of the Arab world over his government’s treatment of Palestinians.
