Biden vows 'to advance Israel's ties' with Islamic nations in first trip to the Middle East as US president

New Delhi: The US will deepen Israel’s integration into the Middle East, President Joe Biden said Wednesday after arriving in the Jewish state, which is eyeing closer ties with Saudi Arabia.

“We’ll continue to advance Israel’s integration into the region,” Biden said shortly after Air Force One touched down in Israel ahead of his visit to Saudi Arabia later this week. Biden said his administration was committed to “strengthening (US-Israeli) connections even further”.

Biden also vowed to strengthen US-Israel ‘connections’. This is Biden’s first visit to the Middle East after becoming president.

Welcome to Israel, Mr. President 🇮🇱 🇺🇸

ברוך הבא לישראל נשיא ארצות הברית 🇮🇱 🇺🇸

קובי גדעון/לע״מ pic.twitter.com/lNjTs9AGHt

— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) July 13, 2022

The US president will leave for Saudi Arabia on Friday. Air Force One will make a first direct flight from Israel to Saudi Arabia amid efforts to forge a relationship between the Jewish state and the conservative Gulf kingdom that does not recognise Israel’s existence.

The trip to Saudi Arabia is also being seen as part of Biden’s efforts to stabilise oil markets rattled by the war in Ukraine, by re-engaging with a long-time US key strategic ally and major energy supplier.

Focus on Iran

A key focus of the visit has been Iran.

Israel and Iran have been sworn enemies that have been engaged in a “shadow war” of attacks and sabotage.

Israel’s caretaker prime minister, Yair Lapid, who greeted Biden at the airport, has said talks “will focus first and foremost on the issue of Iran”.

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Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi warned that if Biden’s goal on the trip was to bolster Israel’s security, he was destined to fail.

“If the visits of the American officials to the countries of the region are to strengthen the position of the Zionist regime… their efforts will not create security for the Zionists in any way,” Raisi said, referring to Israel.

US-Palestine ties

Another key highlight is the Palestine issue.

US-Palestinian ties have been strained by the May killing of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh while she was covering an Israeli army raid in the West Bank.

The United Nations has concluded that the Palestinian-American journalist was killed by Israeli fire. Washington has agreed this was likely, but also said there was no evidence the killing was intentional.

Abu Akleh’s family has voiced outrage over the Biden administration’s “abject response” to her death, and the White House has not commented on their request to meet the president in Jerusalem.

Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Wednesday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken “has invited the family to the United States to be able to sit down and engage with him directly”.

With inputs from AFP

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