Joe Biden, who referred to Saudi Arabia as a “pariah” during the 2020 presidential campaign for the royal family’s alleged involvement in the murder of a Washington Post contributor, arrived in Jeddah on the second stop of his Middle East trip.
As soon as he stepped out of the limo, he probably wished he had stayed home. He was greeted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the head of the Saudi government, and instead of shaking hands, Biden gave the crown prince a playful fist bump.
Needless to say, those who hold a grudge against MBS, as the crown prince is referred to, were none too pleased.
The exchange prompted immediate backlash from human rights activists who criticized Biden for offering what they called too-friendly of a greeting to the crown prince. The president also received criticism from Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan, who called the fist bump “shameful.”
“The fist bump between President Biden and Mohammed bin Salman was worse than a handshake — it was shameful,” Ryan said in a statement. “It projected a level of intimacy and comfort that delivers to MBS the unwarranted redemption he has been desperately seeking.”
Who in Biden’s circle came up with the notion that a fist bump would be better than a handshake? They should be fired immediately. The Post publisher is absolutely right; the signal sent by bumping fists with the man who ordered the extra-judicial killing of a journalist is unacceptable. Read the full article HERE.
