Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Riyadh: During his four-day visit to the region, US President Joe Biden will have to be very sensitive and explore changing alliances.
Welcome greeting on a poster of Israeli organization “Peace Now” on a skyscraper in Tel Aviv: “President Biden, welcome to the two countries we love most”
Even before Joe Biden's visit to the region, US waving in West Jerusalem -American and Israeli flags. Security is extremely tight throughout the city. More than 15,000 Israeli police officers and volunteers are deployed.
“While every time an American President comes to Jerusalem, it's a great honor, but for the population it means great restrictions because the city is completely sealed off and we're best off staying at home,” says resident Avi Avisana. < /p>
“I think it's very brave of Biden to come here shortly after our prime minister has changed,” he said. “It shows how special the relationship between our two countries is.”
New Alliances
US President Biden will be received by Jair Lapid, Prime Minister of the current caretaker government, on Wednesday. It's only been two weeks since Naftali Bennett, who invited Biden to Israel, resigned as Prime Minister following the collapse of his coalition government.
Israel's ex-Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (right) and his successor and former Foreign Minister Yair Lapid
Biden will begin his journey in Israel, then make a brief stopover in the West Bank and finally fly direct from Israel to Saudi Arabia. Biden, who often mentions his longstanding friendship with Israel, was last officially in the country in 2016 – back then as Vice President Obama.
The region has changed since then: Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Morocco signed the so-called Abraham Accords to normalize their diplomatic relations while the government of former US President Donald Trump was still in power.
Israel and the US are close allies. And yet there are concerns, observers say, that the US is investing less in its strategic interests in the Middle East not allow in the region,” says Ksenia Svetlova, a political analyst and former member of the Knesset. “But on the issue of Iran, we are reaching a turning point.”
American allies in the region, she adds, need “a strong and confident America” that “won't allow a vacuum to be filled by other powers.”
Background So is concern about Iran's nuclear ambitions. In recent years, it has brought Israel and some Gulf states closer together.
Israel's interim Prime Minister Jair Lapid said at a cabinet meeting last Sunday: “This visit will be about both opportunities and challenges. The discussion about the challenges will primarily focus on the issue of Iran”.
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Trailer: The Endless War: Iran – Israel – USA
“Why I'm going to Saudi Arabia”
Biden's planned trip to Saudi Arabia is receiving particular attention in Israel. Parts of the population hope for a rapprochement between the two countries. Until now, Riyadh has followed the policy that normalizing diplomatic relations with Israel is only possible after the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state.
On Saturday, the  ;Washington Post an op-ed by Biden entitled “Why I'm Traveling to Saudi Arabia”. He indicated that he will be the first US President to fly direct from Israel to Saudi Arabia.
This is “a small symbol of the burgeoning relationship and normalization steps between Israel and the Arab world that my government is working to deepen and expand,” the post said.
Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia is also a sign of a controversial policy change. During his election campaign, Biden advocated treating Riyadh as a “pariah” for human rights violations. He was referring to the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Kashoggi in 2018.
Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (right) and Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Nayef Al-Hajraf (left) at a meeting in Baghdad in February 2021
US President Biden will address the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit on 15-16 July in Jeddah. Among other things, it should be about developing common goals in the areas of energy and food security, also against the background of the war in Ukraine.
“Golden Era”
However, the prospect of a public normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel seems premature. “The good news is that Saudi Arabia, which is a very important key state in the Middle East, is no longer engaging in hostile policies toward Israel, as it used to be,” said Maj. Gen. Amos Gilead, executive director of the city's Institute for Policy and Strategy Herzliya.
According to Gilead, there are already many informal contacts between Israel and Saudi Arabia. “All in all, we live in the best of times. I call it the golden era between us and the Arab countries.”
In addition, security cooperation between Israel and the United States has further intensified. In 2021, the Pentagon transferred Israel from US European Central Command to Central Command (CENTCOM). With this shift, Israel's military is now cooperating – directly or indirectly – with other Arab countries, even though some of them have not even officially recognized Israel.
In the run-up to the Biden visit, numerous Israeli media reports discussed, among other things, the establishment of an “early warning system” and the establishment of a “regional defense alliance” that would integrate Israel more closely into the region. < /p>
“One of the objectives [of the visit] is to strengthen and consolidate an unofficial alliance against threats that include Iran,” Gilead explains.
In February, Israel's then Prime Minister Naftali Bennett visited Bahrain in search of allies against Iran
Meeting in Bethlehem
Before his departure for Saudi Arabia, the US President is expected to pay a brief visit to a Palestinian hospital in East Jerusalem. He is also scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem on Friday morning.
The church in the Palestinian city, revered as the birthplace of Jesus, is a popular tourist destination. Residents have mixed feelings about Biden's visit there. Because the prospects of an independent state of their own and an end to the Israeli occupation are dwindling more and more.
“The situation is getting worse, we are going backwards. The Palestinian people absolutely need a positive perspective,” says Simon Rishmawi, a 20-year-old Palestinian student. “The world pays no attention to us, no one looks at us.”
Commiliant Miral Assaf sees it similarly. She hopes Biden “sees the reality on the ground.” “A lot of what happens here is distorted in the media.”
Palestinians and US officials are trying to restore ties that shattered under the Trump administration. The former US President had moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and closed the Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem – a break with decades of US foreign policy.
The violent death of the Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh has still not been officially clarified
For Palestinian officials, Biden's promised reopening of the consulate remains one of the top political issues. Israel is strictly against it.
In the past, Biden has called on Israel to stop settlement expansion and work towards a two-state solution. Although some gestures towards the Palestinian Authority could be announced, there are no signs of any moves towards Palestinian-Israeli rapprochement.
In his op-ed for the Washington Post, Biden said: “Working with Congress, my administration has increased aid to the Palestinians by approximately $500 million. At the same time, it passed the largest financial aid package to Israel to date – over $4 billion .”
Relatives of journalist Shireen Akleh disappointed
Biden's visit to the Palestinians is also likely fueled by dissatisfaction with the US response to the shooting of the US-Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh overshadowed.
She was shot and killed on May 11, 2022 while covering an Israeli army operation in Jenin in the West Bank.
In advance Following the visit, Akleh's family members released an open letter to Joe Biden, urging the President to ensure those responsible are held accountable n become They also asked to meet in person.
The text was adapted from the English by Astrid Prange.