U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres predicted on Wednesday that the Middle East would be “deeply reshaped” by the conflicts and emerging new governments across the region in the last year.

“We face widening geopolitical divisions, rising inequalities and assault on human rights, and we see a multiplication of conflicts, some of which are leading to the reshaping of different parts of the world, not least the Middle East,” Guterres said in his remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s (D-NJ) gubernatorial campaign accepted an endorsement from Patricia Campos-Medina, a progressive organizer and former Senate candidate who has called to end U.S. aid to Israel and expressed support for anti-Israel campus protests.

Sherrill said in a post she was “absolutely thrilled” to receive the endorsement.

Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, said on Wednesday that he welcomed the potential for “a dialogue” with Hamas and heaped praise on Qatar for helping facilitate the cease-fire deal between Israel and Gaza, despite facing scrutiny for previous ties to the Gulf nation. 

Asked by Fox News’ Dana Perino to respond to a top Hamas official telling The New York Times, “We are prepared for a dialogue with America in achieving understandings on everything,” Witkoff replied, “I think it’s good if it’s accurate.”

First Lady Melania Trump’s navy blue boater hat, Second Lady Usha Vance’s pink coat and Ivanka Trump’s Audrey Hepburn-inspired black-and-white gown made fashion headlines on Inauguration Day in the U.S. But in Israel, Dr. Miriam Adelson’s rose-gold and yellow-ribbon adorned dress at a Republican Jewish Coalition bash sent the fashionistas into overdrive.

A photo of the dress, covered in the yellow ribbons showing support for release of the hostages held in Hamas captivity, made waves in Israel after being circulated online after the event by influencer Lizzy Savetsky.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Wednesday designating Yemen’s Houthi rebels as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), reversing a Biden-era policy that had removed the group from the State Department’s list of global terror groups. 

The move grants the U.S. government additional sanctions authority, giving Trump more tools to go after the Iran-backed Yemeni terror group. 

Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA) will chair the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, two sources familiar with the matter tell Jewish Insider.

McCormick, a vocal pro-Israel stalwart who was sworn in as Pennsylvania’s junior senator earlier this month, will take over the gavel from Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), who is leaving the Senate Foreign Relations Committee entirely to join the Senate Intelligence Committee. 

Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer said on Wednesday that Israel has not committed to allowing the establishment of a Palestinian state in exchange for normalization with Saudi Arabia.

Israel and Saudi Arabia made significant advances towards normalization in 2023, which were mostly put on hold after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. Still, Israeli and American officials have made optimistic statements about the prospects of peace between Jerusalem and Riyadh in recent months. Saudi leadership has consistently said Israel must take significant steps toward Palestinian statehood before an agreement can be reached, and more recently, has signaled that the establishment of a Palestinian state is a condition for Israel-Saudi ties.

Two elected Democrats turned heads as they made surprise appearances at a Republican Jewish Coalition event celebrating President Donald Trump’s inauguration in Washington this week.

A representative for Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, confirmed that he was in attendance, and Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV) was seen in photographs at the inauguration weekend event.