McGurk expressed concern over a surge in violence in Israel and the West Bank WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden’s top adviser on the Middle East is in the region for meetings with Egypt, Jordan, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, the White House said on Thursday. The official, Brett McGurk, is traveling as part of a multiple-agency trip to the region as Washington has expressed concern over a surge in violence in Israel and the West Bank, which the Palestinians want as the core of a future state.