US President Joe Biden is on his first state visit to Israel and Saudi Arabia after taking office in January last year. The White House said that he will avoid shaking hands during these state visits, according to Reuters.

The new strategy is part of “enhanced COVID-19 precautions” that have been rolled out by the White House ahead of Biden’s trip.

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Jake Sullivan, who is Biden’s National Security Advisor, told reports on Air Force One, “We are in a phase of the pandemic now where we are seeking to reduce contact and to increase masking… to minimize spread.”

Sullivan said that the new policy was “just a general principle” that was being applied by White House officials. Biden, however, was seen shaking hands with multiple world leaders present at the G7 summit in Germany. These include Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

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Hours before departing for Israel on late Tuesday, the White House had organised a congressional picnic in the South Lawn. Here too, Biden was seen socialising with multiple US lawmakers, who shook hands with him.

Despite the COVID-19 protocols, Biden was seen shaking hands with former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Benny Gantz.

The rest of the Israeli delegation, however, did not get to shake hands and instead got fist bumps from Biden. Israeli PM Yair Lapid and Biden stood shoulder-to-shoulder, with their arms behind their backs, while getting pictures clicked, Reuters reported.

Biden will also be visiting Saudi Arabia, which has shared strained ties with US over the killing of Washington Post journalist and political opponent Jamal Khashoggi.

Foreign policy expert Bruce Riedel told Reuters, “The White House is desperately trying to avoid the picture of Biden shaking hands with the Crown Prince, especially after the Washington Post editorial condemning meeting with MbS. COVID is a simple excuse but it won’t change the fact of the meeting.” MbS is short for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.