As Joe Biden starts his first visit to the Middle East as US president, the White House has signalled that he will avoid shaking hands with dignitaries and counterparts to decrease the risk of contracting COVID-19.
But the new guidelines, which come ahead of a highly anticipated meeting between Biden and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, were not rigorously enforced upon the US president’s arrival in Israel on Wednesday; he shook the hands of Israeli officials.
