Obama with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir in Riyadh, April 21

There is a place where the rulers execute people by beheading publicly, silence dissent with deadly force, oppress woman, promote sectarianism and apply extremist interpretations of Islamic teachings in schools. We are not talking about the ISIS-ruled regions in Iraq in Syria; we are referring to the head of the U.N. Human Rights Council, an old U.S. friend and ally — the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

President Obama was there this week, where he reaffirmed the “historic friendship” between the two countries.

Although the relationships between Washington and Riyadh appear to have turned cold lately, because of the Iran nuclear deal, U.S. leaders are still appeasing the Saudi monarchs instead of confronting them about the kingdom’s atrocious human rights record and destructive foreign policy.

The kingdom’s backward, hereditary system of government has never matched American values. Even from a political realism point of view, American interests are at odds with Saudi policies today.

The monarchy’s erratic behavior is endangering global peace. The Saudi-led bombing campaign in Yemen has empowered extremists, including Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQPA), the terrorist network’s greatest threat to international security. Saudi Arabia has also backed extremists in Syria and fueled sectarianism, contributing to the rise of ISIS.

Economically, oil is no longer as vital and scarce a commodity as it was in 1973. Saudi Arabia may be the number one oil producer, but it is not the only one.

When world’s top oil producers are also producing terror and instability, America should reconsider its relationship with them.

Domestically, Saudi Arabia treats its citizens like servants to the royal family. Income disparities, absence of political representation, abuse of migrant workers that amounts to modern day slavery, sectarianism and the inhuman penal code make the Saudi tyranny one of the worst autocracies in the world.

Gender segregation and discrimination in the kingdom turn women into second-class citizens. They are not even allowed to drive.

During his visit to Saudi Arabia, Obama missed a historic opportunity to call out the Saudis on their abuses. Instead, he paid lip service to human rights by timidly calling for reforms. Furthermore, the Obama Administration continues to sell billions of dollars worth of weapons to the Saudi government. 

Middle East analyst Aaron David Miller wrote in a CNN column that the U.S. and Saudi Arabia are stuck in a bad marriage.

At The Arab American News, we say it is time to get a divorce. It is time to pursue an ethical foreign policy that can defeat terrorism at its roots.