After Jordan, Emirates also furious with Netanyahu Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not only managed to get into a diplomatic row with Jordan, he also succeeded in angering the Emiratis. Israel
Iran operating new advanced centrifuges, nuclear watchdog finds According to an International Atomic Energy Agency report, Iran is now using IR-4 centrifuges to enrich uranium in violation of the nuclear accord. Iran
Lawsuit filed to close pro-Kurdish party after lawmaker stripped of parliamentary seat Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party deputy known to focus on human rights abuses, was stripped of his parliament seat and a lawsuit was filed to close the party March 17. Turkey
Netanyahu courts Arab voters as 'Abu Yair' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has adopted a new strategy for the Arab public: cynically rebranding himself as "Abu Yair." Israel
Kerry notes 'beneficial reduction' in Syrian violence Syrian cessation of hostilities holding at one month as Islamic State loses ground; Massoud Barzani says United States is turning a “blind eye” to Syrian Kurdish ally’s links to the Kurdistan Workers Party. Iraq
Is this Iranian man charged in US actually a 'hostage'? After an Iranian man was charged in a US court for violating laws on Iran, a conservative analyst accused the United States of seeking to obtain the release of two Iranian-Americans held in Iran. Iran
Will Egypt-Hamas fallout hurt Palestinian reconciliation? Hamas appears to be making an effort to repair relations with Egypt, but it’s unclear whether the road runs both ways. Palestine
Where are Israeli-Palestinian security talks headed? Discreet talks between Israeli and Palestinian security officers, aimed at reaching new understandings regarding Israel’s military activity in Palestinian cities, lead nowhere for the moment. Palestine
MP says Iran shuttered embassies over lack of funding According to one Iranian parliamentarian, financial issues were behind Iran's closing of a number of embassies, for which the Foreign Ministry has long complained of a lack of funding. Saudi Arabia
The Israeli cat transfer scheme Israeli Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel had to retract his scheme to expel street cats to another country and accept the state veterinary plan of sterilizing them. Israel
Egyptian state takes on independent trade unions After Egypt recently declared independent trade unions invalid, many groups said they will fight the decision on the grounds that it violates the constitution. Egypt
Will Syrian Kurd self-rule trigger Turkish action? Experts argue that Turkey might not react to the announcement of the Federal Democratic System of Rojava and Northern Syria by Syria’s Kurds, as Ankara is currently embattled with its own Kurds on the inside. Syria
Is the PA denying Gazans passports? Palestinians in Gaza are wary of a potential closure of the Bar Association, acting in its capacity as Foreign Ministry, in light of its recent controversy with the State Audit & Administrative Control Bureau. Palestine
Why Breaking the Silence is prime target for Israeli right The Israeli NGO Breaking the Silence draws more fire than any other anti-occupation organization because it defies an Israeli taboo: discussing the activities of the military. Israel
The effort to break Breaking the Silence The Israeli right wing appears to be succeeding in wrongly portraying the campaign of Breaking the Silence as a threat to the state and the Israeli military. Israel
Has there been a breakthrough in Hamas-Egypt ties? A Hamas visit to Egypt ended on a positive note, which might push the Egyptians to stop the incitement campaign against the movement. Palestine
