Gendarmerie operation sparks controversy in Petra, Jordan Petra’s tribal entrepreneurs react to a security operation carried out inside Jordan’s most-visited UNESCO World Heritage Site with criticism and concern for their livelihoods. Jordan
Culture Despite war, thousands of Israeli Hasidim make pilgrimage to Ukraine Much like the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine won’t stop thousands of Hasidim from reaching the city of Uman and the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov just before the Jewish New Year. Israel
Middle East airlines to suffer losses again in 2022 The International Air Transport Association said that airlines in the region will fare somewhat better financially due to the return of long-haul flights. Legacy: Gulf
Israel expects post-COVID tourism rebound this summer Israeli experts do not expect tourism to reach this summer the record level of 2019, but they certainly notice a trend of increase on both outbound and incoming tourism. Israel
Intel: Erdogan reportedly agrees to ship ventilator parts, PPE to United States President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is approving an export permit that will allow Turkey to sell personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilator parts to the United States. Turkey
Iraq relaxes coronavirus restrictions ahead of Ramadan The government announced shops and factories can resume work during certain hours. Iraq
How a falafel shop owner may have accelerated Israel's unity government A falafel vendor's tearful account in a TV interview about his livelihood and how he has been personally affected by the coronavirus pandemic has resonated across the country, so much so that it shook Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz into action. Israel
Lebanon records zero new COVID-19 cases for first time since virus emerged Anti-government protesters return to the streets of Beirut, the Lebanese parliament approves an IMF loan and the Health Ministry reports no new cases of COVID-19. Lebanon
Coronavirus reveals Palestinian economic dependence on Israel The coronavirus crisis reveals the dependence of the Palestinian economy on its Israeli counterpart, especially with regard to workers and the sources of income of thousands of families in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Palestine
Will post-coronavirus world bring chill to Israel-China relations? Not everyone in Israel, especially in the defense establishment, is enthusiastic about cooperating with a large China company in the battle against the coronavirus. Israel
Iranian FM meets with Syria’s Assad amid coronavirus pandemic Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif meets with his counterpart Walid Moallem and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as Turkey accuses Syria of breaking the cease-fire in Idlib province. Syria
Jordan eases lockdown, focuses on opening economy Jordan ends the lockdown in Aqaba while keeping certain restrictions in place and eases curfews elsewhere as the region's first country to enforce a nationwide lockdown now seeks to gradually reopen its economy. Jordan
Containing corruption key to Iran’s economic recovery Iran is struggling to restart its economy in the face of COVID-19, sanctions and unchecked government misconduct, yet a recent report indicates that addressing these problems could fuel economic growth by next year. Business
Turkey overtakes China as biggest COVID-19 hotspot outside US, Europe With over 86,000 cases, Turkey has overtaken China as the country with the most confirmed cases of COVID-19 outside of the United States and Europe. Turkey
Iran says pandemic will not force talks with the US In today's Iran media review, Iranian officials have rejected a statement by US President Donald Trump to enter negotiations with the United States. United States
Israelis find creative ways to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day With social distancing in place and with many traditional Holocaust memorial ceremonies canceled, Israelis have come up with many different ways to remember the victims and pay tribute to survivors. Israel
