Biden in the Middle East

President Biden is in Israel, the 10th trip of his lifetime but his first as America’s commander in chief. Israel’s new interim prime minister Yair Lapid welcomed Biden warmly, calling him one of the best friends Israel has ever known. But the lovefest between leaders surely won’t continue on Friday when Biden heads to Saudi Arabia for his controversial meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Biden has previously called the country a “pariah” for its killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and other human rights violations. But with rising gas prices and concerns about Iran and China, President Biden has decided the visit is in America’s interest. To discuss all this, Bianna speaks with Martin Indyk, who served as US Ambassador to Israel and US Special Envoy for Peace.

Also on today's show: New York Times South Asia correspondent Emily Schmall on the chaos in Sri Lanka; historian Kathleen Belew, author of Bring The War Home; acclaimed writer Patrick Radden Keefe. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices