(Jerusalem) The White House surprised Wednesday by announcing that because of COVID-19, Joe Biden will “minimize contact” during his trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia, where he is to have a controversial meeting with the prince heir to Mohammed bin Salman.
Posted at 8:04 a.m.
“It is reasonable to expect him to take extra precautions,” his spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on the plane taking the US president to Tel Aviv, citing the rapid spread of the virus. new variants.
“We try to minimize contact as much as possible,” she added, pressed with questions about whether Joe Biden would refrain from shaking hands with his interlocutors.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a change” in health protocols, the spokeswoman said again, when asked if these measures weren’t really aimed at avoiding a potentially embarrassing handshake with the prince. Saudi heir.
These statements come as Tuesday again the Democratic president, known for his warm manners, multiplied the accolades during an event with parliamentarians at the White House.
Joe Biden arrives in Israel on Wednesday for an official visit and leaves Friday for Saudi Arabia, a country he had promised during his campaign to treat as a “pariah” following the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
He is due to have a meeting with King Salman and his leadership team, which includes Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, accused by US intelligence of overseeing the assassination.
The president’s exact schedule in Saudi Arabia was still not known on Wednesday, and journalist access during the visit remained unclear.