Two contrasting pictures emerged out of U.S. President Joe Biden’s four-day visit to West Asia. The first was from his visit to Israel, where Mr. Biden was awarded the Presidential Medal of Honour. The second was from his visit to Saudi Arabia where a cold fist bump with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman foretold the chronicles of an increasingly awkward bilateral relationship.
Compulsions driving Biden
The compulsions driving Mr. Biden’s trip to West Asia have been evident. First, he faces the same challenges that several of his predecessors faced in navigating the U.S.’s West Asia policy, especially the Israel-Palestine conflict and Washington’s strenuous relations with Iran.