The Middle East’s jagged puzzle pieces

WASHINGTON, DC: Asked to describe the current shape of the Middle East, a visiting Israeli official uses a Hebrew expression, gam vegam, which translates roughly to: “It’s going in both directions at once.”

The shards of the Middle East mosaic are as sharp and dangerous as ever, but US, Israeli, and Arab officials say these pieces have been rearranged in the past few months -- and may now fit together in different and often surprising ways. There are opportunities few observers would have expected, and also new perils. President Obama is often seen as a lame duck who is hobbling off the Middle East stage in his final 10 months as president. But the pace is likely to be set largely by Secretary of State John Kerry, a man who still has something to prove as a diplomat.