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FEATURING PHYLLIS BENNIS – President Joe Biden has just wrapped up a 4-day trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia, affirming ties to both nations and between both nations. While in Tel Aviv Biden reaffirmed close U.S.-Israeli ties, saying, “We invest in each other. We dream together. We’re part of what has always been the objective we both have.” Biden did not publicly raise the brutal Israeli killing of the Al Jazeera journalist and Palestinian American Shireen Abu Akleh with his Israeli friends. He did mention her in a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem.

While in Saudi Arabia, Biden met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the man documented to have ordered the brutal murder and dismemberment of the Saudi-origin Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Mr. Biden did raise Khashoggi’s murder with MBS, who then responded, “You can't impose your values on us by force. Remember Abu Ghraib? What have you done about Shireen Abu Akleh?”

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