The Evening: Blinken in Israel, Historic Heat, Soulshine, and More

Newsletter - January 9, 2024

Blinken Raises Possibility of Deal for Saudi Recognition of Israel

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday tried to persuade Israeli officials to exercise more restraint in their campaign in Gaza by floating the prospect of normalized relations with Saudi Arabia, as the NYT reports.

Gaza Hostage Talks Inch Closer to a Restart

An Israeli delegation arrived in Cairo on Tuesday in an effort to revive hostage talks. And, as the WSJ reports, the renewed talks are aimed at freeing hostages still held in Gaza in exchange for a prolonged cease-fire.

Historic Heat

The year 2023 was the hottest in recorded human history, Europe's top climate agency announced Tuesday. According to new data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service, Earth's average temperature last year was 1.48 degrees Celsius (2.66 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than the preindustrial average, as The Washington Postreports.

Executive Education

Ready to take the next step towards policy success in Washington? Join CSIS experts March 18-21, 2024, at CSIS Headquarters for "Decoding D.C.: Policy, Power, and People," to unlock the secrets to thriving in the capital's unique policy landscape. Register here by March 4.

Audio Briefs

CSIS experts give short, spoken-word summaries on the biggest takeaways from their latest reports, white papers, and commentaries-in their own words.

Listen here: "Hamas's October 7 Attack: Visualizing the Data" with CSIS's Riley McCabe.

In That Number

1,000

Ukraine's power grid operator said on Tuesday severe winter weather left more than 1,000 towns and villages without electricity and urged residents to conserve power as the energy system has been weakened by Russian strikes.
Source: Reuters

Critical Quote

The recent conflict in the Middle East, coming on top of the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine, has heightened geopolitical risks. Conflict escalation could lead to surging energy prices, with broader implications for global activity and inflation.

- World Bank's "Global Economic Prospects Report

iDeas Lab

Image

Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7 is the third-deadliest terrorist attack since data collection began in 1970, based on number of fatalities, with the 9/11 attacks representing the worst mass fatality terrorist attack. Read the full CSIS analysis here.

The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and multimedia.

Optics

Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/POOL/AFP

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz in Tel Aviv on January 9, 2024, during his week-long trip aimed at calming tensions across the Middle East.

Recommended Reading

"What China's Ban on Rare Earths Processing Technology Exports Means" by CSIS's Gracelin Baskaran.

This Town This Week

On Thursday, at 10:00 a.m., the CSIS Scholl Chair in International Business holds a conversation on the prospects of the Asia-Pacific digital trade agenda.

Also Thursday, at 11:30 a.m., the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program hosts a discussion with Under Secretary of State Elizabeth M. Allen on managing security risks in the Black Sea Region.

On Friday, at 10:00 a.m., the CSIS Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group unpacks military capabilities and security threats in the Western Pacific.

Video

Today, the CSIS Wadhwani Center for AI and Advanced Technologies hosted Dr. Michael C. Horowitz, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Development and Emerging Capabilities to discuss DOD policy towards AI and autonomy. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

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Former national intelligence manager for Iran at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, CIA, senior official and current CSIS senior adviser Norman Roule joins the podcast to discuss the war in Gaza against Hamas and how Iran and its proxies are provoking a potentially expanded Mideast war.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

The folks at Playing for Change are in the smiles business. Their ongoing music video series "Songs Around The World" features some of the globe's top artists delivering beloved tunes as a remote ensemble. The latest video riffs the Allman Brothers' classic "Soulshine."