A thaw in Turkey’s relations with Egypt? Gulf Cooperation Council reconciliation may have set in motion Ankara’s desire for a reset with Cairo. Egypt
Biden's deputy secretary of state nominee OK'd by Senate committee The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved moving Wendy Sherman's nomination to the full Senate, with some Democrats and Republicans who had disagreed with her on the Iran deal voting to confirm her anyway. United States
Biden's CIA nominee stresses China over Iran during Senate hearing Ambassador William Burns said that China is the biggest challenge for the United States, but that Iran and Russia cannot be overlooked. Regional
Post-COVID Mideast economies look to the Gulf and Egypt The region took a hard hit from the pandemic, and it’s far from over, but Egypt and Saudi Arabia are managing better than expected. Regional
Biden ends Trump’s ban on travel from Muslim-majority countries Immigration advocates hailed Biden's decision, but said undoing the effects of the travel ban won’t happen overnight. United States
Trump orders US Central Command to include Israel amid strategic shift The decision caps the outgoing administration's efforts to build a regional defense arrangement to counter Iran. Israel
Hamas scrambles for relevance in post-normalization Middle East Egypt urges Palestinian reconciliation in midst of diplomatic surge, as Hamas keeps options open with Iran and Syria. Gulf
Israel, UAE top Middle East vaccination rates Other countries in the region have only just recently imported vaccines, and the status of vaccination in Iran and Syria in particular is unclear. Gulf
British Airways stops flights to several Gulf cities The airline will no longer fly to destinations in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman in 2021 as global air travel continues to take a hit amid the pandemic. Gulf
The Takeaway: Israel would prefer Assad rely on Gulf, not Iran Israeli scholar Micky Aharonson says Israel can live with Assad, if Assad can live without Iran; Amberin Zaman gets the scoop, again, on Turkey-Israel ties; should we forget about Israel-Saudi normalization for now? Israel
Mizrahi Israelis hope normalization with Gulf will bring regional peace For Israelis of Mizrahi origin, normalization with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain has great significance; it reconnects them to the Arab world, with its history and heritage. Israel
Israel issues travel warning involving several Middle Eastern states The Israeli government wants Israelis to avoid travel to the UAE, Turkey and other countries following the killing of an Iranian nuclear scientist. Israel
No relief in sight for Mideast hotspots after catastrophic 2020 Conflict, disease, famine compound crises in Gaza, Yemen, Syria. Regional
The Takeaway: Is Israel ready to welcome the Squad? Israeli minister says it is time to ramp up outreach to Democrats; Amberin Zaman gets the scoop on Turkey-Israel channel; Biden administration needs to lay out Saudi policy early; four Mideast takeaways from Obama’s book. Israel
Biden will face matrix of conflicting influence campaigns in Africa, Mideast Egypt seeks to check Turkish influence in North Africa and the Horn, while its priority remains Nile Dam talks with Ethiopia. North Africa
Palestinians trying to dig themselves out of isolation It seems Palestinians are trying to get out of international and Arab isolation by taking a series of measures, including restoring ties with Israel and returning their ambassadors to the UAE and Bahrain, in anticipation of the Joe Biden administration’s arrival into office. Palestine
