President Biden suddenly crossed himself on Wednesday during a one-on-one meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outside the United Nations General Assembly in Midtown.
The 80-year-old Roman Catholic president made a significant hand gesture — touching his forehead, stomach and left and right breast area with his right hand — as the Jewish leader began to speak.
“We’ve been friends for, I checked, over 40 years,” Netanyahu said, prompting Biden to make the sign of the cross in a possible joke about his own age.
However, the president did not explain his actions and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The sign of the cross comes from early Christianity and is often used as a self-blessing during prayer.
Biden has a frosty relationship with Netanyahu, a political conservative who worked closely with former President Donald Trump, and Biden has consistently criticized his counterpart’s proposals to limit the ability of the Israeli court system to review government actions.
President Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outside the United Nations General Assembly in Manhattan on September 20, 2023. Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images
Biden unexpectedly made the sign of the cross during the meeting. Reuters
Biden and Netanyahu both said Wednesday that they hope to broker the establishment of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel — building on the Trump administration’s Abraham Accords with other Arab countries.
During Trump’s last year in office, the Muslim-majority governments of Bahrain, Kosovo, Morocco, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates established diplomatic relations with Israel as a result of US diplomacy.
“If you and I were 10 years ago talking about normalization with Saudi Arabia, I think we would have looked at each other like, ‘Who’s been drinking what?'” said Biden, whose administration led the opening of Saudi airspace to Israeli flights.
Crowds protest against Netanyahu outside a meeting with Biden.AP Photo/Seth Wenig
Netanyahu stated that he and Biden have been friends for over 40 years. AP Photo/Susan Walsh
“Good Irish whiskey,” Netanyahu joked in response, then added: “I think under your leadership, Mr. President, we can establish a historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia.”
The Saudi government has done business with Trump, who is seeking a rematch against Biden, and his family since the former president left office — including investing $2 billion with former first son-in-law Jared Kushner’s firm.
LIV Golf, funded by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, has also held at least four events at Trump-owned golf courses in Bedminster, NJ, and outside Washington, DC.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
