Egypt, Jordan Huddle Over Regional, Global Affairs  

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday flew to Jordan to meet with King Abdullah and other high-ranking officials, as the two Middle Eastern Arab nations prepare to face a new Washington administration. According to sources who spoke with the Israeli daily Haaretz, the two leaders discussed the effects of President-elect Joe Biden’s entrance into the White House, the ongoing tensions with Iran, the normalization process between Israel and Gulf states, the recent rapprochement between Qatar and its neighbors, and the elections set to be held in the Palestinian Authority, announced by PA President Mahmoud Abbas over the weekend. On Sunday, Abbas met in Ramallah with Egyptian and Jordanian intelligence officials, as the two countries are expected to hold a central role in ensuring the integrity of the elections. Abbas declared on Friday that, for the first time since 2006, elections for the Palestinian parliament and presidency will be held during the final week of May, in all Palestinian territories including the Gaza Strip, controlled by the rival Hamas group. The decision was backed by Hamas, after months of back-and-forth between the two Palestinian factions.