Bromance in Riyadh: Rhetoric, deals, and déjà vu

Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara highlights the need for a measured and sober assessment of the first day of bilateral summit in Riyadh, cautioning against being swept away by the optics and rhetoric of what MAMY have described as a "historic" gathering. He emphasizes that while the warm public displays of camaraderie may be promising, history urges skepticism.

Bishara recalls the 2017 successful summit where former US President Donald Trump received a lavish welcome in Saudi Arabia, joined by dozens of Muslim leaders. Yet, the aftermath saw deepening crises: the devastating war in Yemen escalated, the Gulf rift led to the blockade of Qatar, journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered, and wider regional ambitions were upended by unforeseen global events like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bishara suggests that it’s too early to make mega conclusions. He notes the paradox of the US pushing massive arms deals worth hundreds of billions of dollars while simultaneously cutting foreign aid—policies that, he argues, neither promote peace nor alleviate suffering, but instead fuel new arms races. He also finds it noteworthy that Trump chose Saudi Arabia as the venue to announce the lifting of sanctions on Syria. However, Bishara stresses that such declarations require follow-up actions, starting with addressing Israel’s destabilizing role in the region.

In a particularly sharp critique, Bishara underscores Trump’s unwavering alignment with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s narrative on Gaza. He criticizes the former president’s failure to acknowledge the ongoing occupation or call for an end to the war and what many have described as a genocide—pointing to a broader unwillingness to confront the root causes of Palestinian suffering.

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Post from Al Jazeera on May 13, 2025

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