Explainer Israel's Armenian genocide recognition marks new front against Turkey Analysts say the expected vote for recognition is not morally motivated, but intended to spite the Turkish leader. Israel
US brokers deal for limited Israeli withdrawal in south Lebanon The deal establishes a US-facilitated military coordination group to oversee the creation of two initial pilot zones in southern Lebanon. Lebanon
Iran vows to respond to Israeli military using neighboring airspace: What to know Iran’s military headquarters said it “considers responding to these dangerous actions as its right” after alleging that Israeli jets have been operating in the airspace of neighboring countries near Iran. Iran
Analysis Vance turning us into 'punching bag': Israel fumes over alleged IRGC-CENTCOM channel in Doha The US-Iran decision to launch direct talks between the IRGC and CENTCOM in Qatar deepens the rift between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while heightening Israeli fears that Washington is shifting toward Doha and Tehran. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Rubio courts GCC support on Iran deal as UAE warns over Hormuz By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis Pilot zones at center of Israel-Lebanon talks as Trump pressures Netanyahu By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Signs of Seriousness In Israel-Palestine Peace Talks Despite the pessimism of pundits, there are indications that US Secretary of State John Kerry might not be wasting his time. Palestine
Al-Monitor’s Gursel Wins Award; Watch US House on Syria Al-Monitor’s coverage of press freedom in Turkey, the US House of Representatives on Syria, and Iraq as possible mediator on Iran; Daoud Kuttab discusses the Middle East with Fareed Zakaria. Iraq
Egypt, Tunisia, Gaza Still Waiting for Democracy Developments in Egypt, Tunisia, Gaza and Ramallah show that elections alone do not make a democracy, just as US President Obama had warned in his 2009 Cairo speech. Palestine
Hamas Warns Abu Mazen On Peace Talks With Israel The rift is widening between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas after the announcement that talks with Israel may resume. Palestine
Former Favorite Son Dahlan Slams Abu Mazen for Corruption Two recent cases raise questions about the democratic practices of the parties to the peace. Palestine
Livni to Conduct Upcoming Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations With a small party in a right-wing coalition, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni has only two options if she wants to survive: to ensure that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conducts negotiations with the Palestinians in good faith, or to pull out of his government. Palestine
No Surprises in US Court Decision On Jerusalem's Status It should surprise no one that a US court has decided to refrain from forcing the president to recognize Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem. Palestine
Murder Suspect in Gay Club Killing Tracked to Tel Aviv Slum Five minutes from Tel Aviv, the poor and neglected Pardes Katz neighborhood, home of the alleged killer in the Bar No’ar murder case, has become a cradle of Israeli delinquency. Israel
The Downfall of Minister Lapid Finance Minister Yair Lapid turns strategically, and obsessively, to his main campaign slogan against the ultra-Orthodox, to blur the fact that he has not owned up to his own promises. Israel
Palestinians Still Buying Israeli Settlement Goods While international efforts increase against Israeli settlement goods, many Palestinians in the West Bank are failing to heed the boycott call. Palestine
Netanyahu Blesses and Curses Europe's Role in the Middle East Decisions by the European Union have the Netanyahu government criticizing it for intervening with sanctions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while praising it for blacklisting Hezbollah. Israel
Lapid Criticizes Idle Ultra-Orthodox For Hurting Israeli Economy The absence of the ultra-Orthodox from Israel's job market is a real threat to the state, but the aggressive attempts by Finance Minister Yair Lapid to solve the wrong problem will have the opposite effect. Israel