U.S. President Joe Biden has begun a tour of the Middle East starting in Israel and the Palestinian territories, followed by Saudi Arabia. This trip underscores a new positioning in the Middle East, particularly since he carries specific objectives that are interconnected with global developments.
In this context, a diplomatic source outlined Biden’s goals as follows:
- Deliver a message to both allies and enemies in the Middle East that America will not withdraw but will remain to play its role alongside its allies.
- Restore the nature of U.S.-Saudi relations through his presence as President and through the presence of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who previously had vetoed Biden’s visit, marking a victory for bin Salman and Saudi Arabia.
- Attempt to convince Riyadh to take steps towards peace with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords.
- Revive negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, although Biden lacks the leverage needed for negotiations; this initiative may appear successful in theory but is likely to fail in practice because Israel "has left no room for reconciliation with the Palestinians."
- Explore the possibility of establishing a military-political alliance among several Arab countries, including Gulf states, Iraq, Egypt, and Jordan, or another alliance that includes these states along with Israel.
- The main issue, which surpasses the importance of the previous goals, is to persuade Saudi Arabia and Qatar to increase oil and gas production by about two million barrels per day, a request that Saudi Arabia still rejects as of today.
The source mentions that the visit comes at a significant time coinciding with the Ukraine war and Russian President Vladimir Putin's moves towards the East, including an upcoming visit to Tehran on the 17th of this month and a Turkish-Russian-Iranian summit.
Moreover, the source adds that domestically, Biden is sending a message to his people that Washington is playing a major diplomatic role just three months ahead of the midterm elections.
Additionally, the diplomatic source highlights the presence of U.S. Global Energy Security Advisor Amos Hochstein (the U.S. mediator in maritime boundary negotiations with Israel) in the delegation accompanying Biden. Hochstein's involvement is tied to his role as an energy security advisor since oil is a key agenda item for Biden's visit. Therefore, Lebanon may be present as part of the Mediterranean energy discussions that Biden will address during his tour, indicating that the focus is not solely on Lebanon.
