Name? Joe Biden
Westphalian identity? United States American
Age? 79
Why is he in the news? United States President, Joe Biden, will make his first official visit to the Middle East today, where he will visit Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the West Bank. Biden looks to reinvigorate the relationship between the United States and his regional allies, as he is suffering at home with rising inflation and record gas prices. Biden plans to push for increased diplomatic relations with Israel, as well as a potential Saudi oil boost.
Why do we care? Under Biden, the United States has not taken an outstanding role in the Middle East. He is catching up on diplomatic involvement in the region and trying to secure energy supplies amidst rising energy prices. In the end, Biden’s trip also looks to seek a normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, continuing the legacy of his predecessor.
Why should you care? The trip is going to be an essential step for Biden on the foreign affairs front, but domestically, it will not make him any more popular. The visit will look to boost the Biden administration’s diplomatic profile, strengthening Saudi Arabia, and a divided Israel which will go to the polls for the fifth time in four years. As this trip will likely not affect you, you should care 2/10 about Biden’s trip to the Middle East.
Who else cares? Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamanei. With talks of a possible Middle East air-defence system and the further normalisation of Israel, Biden wants to balance Iran through Middle Eastern allies to further cast out the Islamic Republic. This has become necessary as militias supplied by Iran with drones are more aggressively and successfully targeting Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Any further comments? Biden will be flying directly from Israel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – an unprecedented move considering the official Saudi stance that Israel should not exist.
