Seth J. Frantzman, Columnist

Biden Has Already Calmed the Middle East

The prospect of American reengagement in the region is encouraging belligerents to seek reconciliation.

January 17, 2021 at 6:00 AM UTC

Seth J. Frantzman covers Middle East affairs for the Jerusalem Post. He is the author of "After ISIS: America, Iran and the Struggle for the Middle East" and executive director of the Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis.

The writing is on the wall.
Photographer: Menahem Kahana/AFP

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Reconciliation is breaking out across the Middle East. A Saudi-led quartet of Arab states has ended a three-and-a-half-year embargo of Qatar. Turkey is seeking accommodations with France, Greece, Israel, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia after years of tensions. Egypt, Jordan, France and Germany are pressing for new peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

There is every prospect other Arab states will join the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan in normalizing relations with Israel — Oman and Qatar are the likeliest. Even Hamas in Gaza seems open to terms of cohabitation with the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in Ramallah.