‘Shaking’ off fist-bump plan

President Biden shook hands repeatedly Thursday in Israel — ignoring a reported plan for fist bumps during his Mideast tour and potentially forcing him to extend his hand Friday to Saudi Arabia’s killer Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

The president shook hands with at least a dozen people at an event in Jerusalem where he received Israel’s Medal of Honor — before shaking even more hands while greeting US athletes at an international sporting event, blowing away pretenses that COVID-19 would limit his physical contact with others during the trip.

Biden arrives Friday in Saudi Arabia and will meet with bin Salman as the US seeks greater oil production to tamp down high gas prices. Biden previously tried to sideline the prince after US spy agencies determined he ordered the 2018 operation that killed Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

As Biden entered the Israel medal ceremony on Thursday afternoon, he shook hands with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Defense Minister Benny Gantz — one day after arriving in Israel giving initial fist bumps, before quickly reverting to handshakes for former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Gantz.

After getting his medal, Biden shook hands with Israeli President Issac Herzog and was serenaded with a bilingual performance of The Beatles’ “Let It Be” in English and Hebrew. He then shook hands with the duo’s male singer while his female counterpart declined Biden’s extended hand and instead bowed.

The White House hasn’t denied reports that Biden was told to give COVID-19 fist bumps instead of handshakes in his trip to the region. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, “We’re trying to minimize contact as much as possible where we can.”

The fist bumps were widely interpreted as a strategy to avoid a presidential handshake with bin Salman.