The Verity Courier
Biden Middle East Visit
Ron Estes
17 July 2022
Presuming the Crown Prince had been briefed on how to greet and welcome the President of the United States, Salman probably was informed that Americans often greet each other with closed fists since the introduction of Covid-19 into the American population. Therefore, the offer of a closed fist by the Saudi Crown Prince should be considered a gesture of respect, and welcome, not of ridicule.
Saudi Arabia is the heartland of Islam. It is the birthplace of Islamic history, the site of the two most holy mosques, and the focus of Islamic devotion and prayer. Saudi Arabia is committed to preserving the Islamic tradition in all areas of government and society.
It is also the largest U.S. export market in the Middle East. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia have had a longstanding security relationship, which has benefited both nations, since the U.S. established full diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia in 1940.
Since his arrival in Saudi Arabia, Biden has met also with the leaders of the Gulf States, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates — as well as the state leaders from Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq. These meetings were significant in that Biden’s goal during this visit is to restore U.S. prestige, respect and the historical U.S. leadership role in the Middle East, so badly damaged during the Trump administration.
The Trump administration was the first nation in the world to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and to move our Embassy from Tel Aviv to to that city. That policy decision alienated 1.9 billion Muslims and cost the U.S. its traditional role of dominant outside power, and prestigious influence in the region.
That decision was so controversial because UNGA 181, the resolution under whose aegis Israel declared independence, also declared Jerusalem an independent city, Corpus Separatum, to be administered by the UN. Part II of UNGA181 detailed precisely the borders of the new nation, and the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem were not within those borders. Israel occupies the city illegally, thus it does not hold sovereignty in the city. In fact, since 1020 BC, until today, 3,044 years, Israelites have held sovereignty in Jerusalem for a total of only 513 years, and not since 63 BC. The UNGA resolution was obviously designed to recognize that Jerusalem is of religious significance to 2.2 billion Christians, 1.9 billion Muslims in addition to only 14.8 million Jews, and should be shared by all.
Jerusalem was built by the Jebusites, semites, at least a thousand years before the tribes of Israel arrived in Canaan, and they governed the city for 100 years after the Israelite arrival. It is widely believed in the Middle East that Palestinians are descendants of the Jebusites.
In 1980 the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, passed the “Basic Law” which declared Jerusalem “complete and unified” the capital of Israel. The “Basic Law” was a violation of UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions 476 & 478. UNSC resolution 478 declared the Knesset “Basic Law” null and void and 476 declared any demographic changes in Jerusalem a violation of international law, and a breach of the Geneva Convention: breaches of the Convention are prosecutable as war crimes.
Because of that UN designation, no nation in the world recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel until Trump did so in December 2017. In May, 2018, the Trump administration moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Israel has diplomatic relations with 164 nations. Following the American lead, and including the United States, only four nations now have their embassies in Jerusalem.
That Biden succeeded in restoring the U.S.credibility and prestige in the Middle East, and holding the door closed to Russian and Chinese advances in the region, deserves the support of the American people, not their criticisms.
Ron Estes served 25 years as an Operations Officer of the CIA Clandestine Service.
