President Biden was slow during his first year in office to embrace the significance of the Abraham Accords that the Trump administration brokered in the Middle East to achieve historic diplomatic normalization between Israel and several Arab powers.
Mr. Biden also vowed on the campaign trail that, as president, he would make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” over the 2018 killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, whose death U.S. intelligence officials have said was likely ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman (MBS).
But since being elected, Mr. Biden’s posture has shifted a lot. And now, as he heads out on his first presidential trip to the Middle East, officials say he plans to celebrate the Abraham Accords, while also honoring the Saudis with a personal visit to try to persuade the crown prince to pump more oil in hopes of reversing soaring gasoline prices in the United States.