Middle East

Saudi Arabian residents prepare for Biden's arrival

5:14am July 14, 2022

by Fatma Tanis

Many Saudis in the port city Jeddah are aware of President Biden's criticisms of the Kingdom but they hope his visit there Friday will strengthen ties between the two countries.

Some of the issues that President Biden and Israeli leaders will meet about

4:56pm July 13, 2022

by Daniel Estrin

President Biden started on a series of deals in Israel meant to show the ties between the two countries. The subject of a Palestinian-American journalist killed in the West Bank may be on the agenda.

On this trip, the White House says President Biden will try to reduce physical contact as a COVID-19 precaution, meaning fist-pumps replaced handshakes on the red carpet when he arrived.

Biden tries fist bumps instead of handshakes ahead of Saudi crown prince meeting

1:59pm July 13, 2022

by Asma Khalid

The White House says Biden is trying to limit physical contact during his trip to the Middle East because of COVID risks. But it's a decision that comes conveniently ahead of an awkward meeting.

Biden heads to the Middle East for meetings

4:29pm July 12, 2022

President Biden is heading to Israel and Saudi Arabia Tuesday in his first visit to the Middle East as president for meetings that he says he hopes will help advance regional security and stability.

President Biden's visit to the Middle East will start in Israel on Wednesday. Then he will go to the Israeli-occupied West Bank to meet the Palestinian leadership. From there, he'll attend a regional Arab summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he'll meet l

Biden's Middle East trip aims to shore up a relatively calm moment in the region

3:44pm July 12, 2022

by Larry Kaplow

In his visits to Israel and Saudi Arabia this week, President Biden will aim to keep the oil flowing and lock in progress on the Middle East's simmering conflicts.

World News

Biden plans to tackle oil, human rights on trip to the Mideast

5:06pm July 10, 2022

by Daniel Estrin

President Biden will meet with nearly a dozen Mideast leaders on a trip this week that will cover issues from Yemen to oil to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Muslims from across the globe made their way to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to participate in the pilgrimage of hajj. Some who wished to participate in this year's ritual walked away frustrated due to a new set of travel rules put into place by the government.

This Eid al-Adha, the new rules for hajj have left many frustrated

9:51am July 09, 2022

by Dustin Jones

The Saudi Arabian government's new rules for the pilgrimage left many Muslims frustrated and disappointed. Some couldn't make the journey, and others were shocked by the conditions upon arrival.

In August, President Biden met with Israel's then-Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. This will be Biden's first trip to Israel as president, but he has been there many times during his political career.

Biden is building on the Abraham Accords, part of Trump's legacy in the Middle East

5:00am July 09, 2022

by Asma Khalid

Joe Biden has jettisoned most of his predecessor's foreign policy. But not the Abraham Accords. Those agreements between Israel and its neighbors are in the spotlight as Biden heads to the Mideast.

Women walk in a neighborhood heavily damaged by airstrikes in Idlib, Syria, on March 12, 2020.

World News

UN fails to extend aid deliveries to Syrian rebel-held area

4:55am July 09, 2022

by The Associated Press

The U.N. Security Council failed in two rival votes Friday to extend humanitarian aid deliveries from Turkey to 4.1 million Syrians in the rebel-held northwest.

A Jewish-Palestinian political coalition failed. Could it work in the future?

7:26am July 08, 2022

by Daniel Estrin

With elections in November, Israeli leaders are debating the just-finished political experiment that saw right-wing Jewish parties working with Arab politicians.

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