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
Why is Middle Eastern culture missing from Israeli schoolbooks? Many doubt that a renewed effort to include more about Middle Eastern culture in the Israeli educational curriculum will meet with success given the poor results of earlier efforts. Israel
Are Israeli Jews racist? Two surveys published recently find a link between Jewish-Orthodox identity and discriminatory opinions against Israeli-Palestinians. Palestine
Is Egypt doing enough to counter widespread sexual harassment? Although a number of recent developments offer hope to Egyptian women that efforts to combat sexual harassment are working, change is slow. Egypt
Hezbollah responds to GCC decision In a speech following the GCC’s decision to label Hezbollah a terrorist organization, the movement’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, intensified his criticism of Saudi Arabia, indicating a readiness to go all the way in the confrontation. Saudi Arabia
Six reasons Iran won’t join war in Yemen Even if Iran considers Yemen as an opportunity to expand its influence, it views averting the crisis there at hand is more important than directly entering it. Saudi Arabia
Rouhani challenges media ban on former president President Hassan Rouhani denies that there is an official media ban on former President Mohammad Khatami, but some Iranian media still abide by it. Iran
Turkey’s Kurdish leader: We will struggle on in parliament ‘till the end’ Turkey’s top Kurdish political leader tells Al-Monitor his party remains committed to a political struggle despite government efforts to crush the party in parliament. Turkey
Armenian animosity rekindled through PKK terror The Justice and Development Party’s repeated insults that Kurds are considered Armenians are aimed at labeling the pro-Kurdish HDP as non-Muslim, and to justify the heavy attacks on border towns in the southeast of Turkey. Turkey
Is free speech a crime in Palestine? The Palestinian government needs to rewrite the law on defamation, making it a civil matter, not a criminal offense. Palestine
Libya’s militias take justice into their own hands Libya's police say the country's justice system is collapsing, as courts often fail to prosecute crimes for fear of the suspects' affiliation with militias and armed groups continue to take matters into their own hands. Libya
Why is Iraq challenging human rights reports? Despite accounts of major human rights violations in Iraq, the government continues to deny and criticize reports by international human rights organizations. Iraq
Israeli ties with Egypt may be thawing, but no 'love and warmth' just yet In an interview with Al-Monitor, Zionist Camp Knesset member Ksenia Svetlova claims that while progress is being made, Egyptian society is still influenced by anti-Israeli discourse and not yet ready for normalization. Egypt
