US President Joe Biden will be the first president to fly directly from Israel to Saudi Arabia.
President Biden said in an opinion piece published in The Washington Post that the flight from Tel Aviv to Jeddah this week is a small symbol of “budding relations and steps toward normalization” between Israel and the Arab world.
The president will first stop in Israel and the Palestinian territories on July 13-14 and then fly on to Saudi Arabia, ending his trip on July 16.
President Biden reported his administration has strengthened US-Israel and US-Palestinian relations by donating approximately $500 million in support for the Palestinians, while also providing a $4 billion support package for Israel, the largest in history.
The US president defended his decision to visit Saudi Arabia, stating human rights will be on his agenda while aiming to reset ties with the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.
President Biden is expected to press for increased Saudi oil production in the hope of taming spiraling fuel costs and inflation at home, while also obtaining Saudi Arabian help in curbing Iran’s influence in the Middle East and China’s global sway.