Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Jul 04, 2025

US signals Biden will avoid shaking hands during Middle East trip

US signals Biden will avoid shaking hands during Middle East trip

Despite the new COVID prevention guidelines, the US president has shaken the hands of Netanyahu and Gantz early in his visit to Israel.

As Joe Biden starts his first visit to the Middle East as US president, the White House has signalled that he will avoid shaking hands with dignitaries and counterparts to decrease the risk of contracting COVID-19.

But the new guidelines, which come ahead of a highly anticipated meeting between Biden and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, were not rigorously enforced upon the US president’s arrival in Israel on Wednesday; he shook the hands of Israeli officials.

“We’re in a phase of the pandemic now where we are seeking to reduce contact and to increase masking … to minimise spread,” US national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Air Force One.

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre echoed his comments. “We’re trying to minimise contact as much as possible,” she said.

The precautions, however, appear to have been short-lived in Israel. Biden fist-bumped Israel’s interim Prime Minister Yair Lapid and President Isaac Herzog after landing in Tel Aviv. But later in the day, footage showed him shaking hands with former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Benny Gantz.

He also shook hands with officials at Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial.

Later this week, Biden will fly to Saudi Arabia, where he is expected to meet regional leaders in the Red Sea city of Jeddah. The White House has confirmed that he will also meet with bin Salman, who the US intelligence community accuses of ordering the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

Riyadh insists that the killing of Khashoggi – who wrote for the Washington Post at the time of his death – was a rogue operation that took place without the approval or knowledge of top officials, including Prince bin Salman, who is known by his initials, MBS.

As a candidate, Biden called Saudi Arabia a “pariah” over the killing, and early in his administration, he avoided dealing with MBS – the de facto leader of the kingdom. Instead, the White House has said that the president would engage with his counterpart, King Salman, the crown prince’s father.

It’s not clear whether Biden will follow his aides’ handshaking guidelines at the expected photo opportunity with MBS.




“The White House is desperately trying to avoid the picture of Biden shaking hands with the crown prince… COVID is a simple excuse but it won’t change the fact of the meeting,” Bruce Riedel, a foreign policy fellow at the Brookings Institution, told the Reuters news agency.

The Biden administration has said it will promote normalisation between Israel and Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, during the president’s visit to the Middle East.

“We’ll continue to advance Israel’s integration into the region … Greater peace, greater stability, greater connection … It’s critical, I might add, for all the people of the region,” Biden said after landing in Israel on Wednesday.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
×