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
US presidential candidates clash over Middle East peace process US presidential candidates are offering substantive differences when it comes to Israel policy. Palestine
Ankara attack spawns conspiracy theories Turkey was a little too quick to identify the alleged perpetrator of the Ankara blast as a YPG-affiliated Syrian Kurd, and many observers mistrust the government's version of the story. Turkey
CHP's rising Christian star subjected to hate speech A newspaper's revelation about the Christian heritage of an opposition parliamentarian has created another rift in the ruling AKP and opened a dialogue on interfaith marriage. Turkey
Are unpaid salaries driving Gazans to suicide? The crisis over unpaid wages has already pushed several in Gaza to commit suicide, a trend that seems ulikely to be reversed soon. Palestine
Will Israelis, Palestinians stop unilateralism? Both the Israeli and the Palestinian side tend to favor unilateral steps instead of negotiating a compromise that the parties have been avoiding for years. Palestine
Netanyahu's bag of tricks to deflect criticism The "suspension bill" targeting Arab-Israeli parliamentarians is yet another element in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strategy of incitement to deflect attention from international criticism of his policies. Palestine
How one Hamas leader intends to reconcile with Fatah Hamas leader Ahmed Yousef speaks to Al-Monitor about the movement’s relations with Fatah, Iran and the international community. Palestine
Will Egypt's 'luxury tax' hurt everyday citizens? Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued a decree raising customs tariffs on so-called luxury products, a new development that some say threatens the country with a potential wave of inflation. Egypt
Iran denies US gave money in exchange for prisoners The spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry has denied accusations by conservative figures and media that the prisoner swap in January was related to the release of $1.7 billion. Iran
In last interview, former UN Secretary-General defends Cairo's crackdowns In an interview with Al-Monitor a week before passing away at the age of 93, former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali spoke about the challenges of ensuring full freedoms amid a precarious security situation. Egypt
Does Israel's new 'suspension bill' suppress democracy? While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hails the "suspension bill" authorizing the Knesset to suspend Knesset members in certain cases, critics claim that the proposal is anti-democratic. Israel
Ultra-Orthodox see chance to retake Jerusalem mayor's office With municipal elections two years away, the ultra-Orthodox are already working to unite behind a candidate as Jerusalem's current mayor, Nir Barkat, considers a run on Israel's national scene. Israel
