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
Egypt forces Brotherhood judges to retire To rid the Egyptian judiciary system of any opposition party, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued three presidential decrees forcing Muslim Brotherhood judges to retire. Egypt
Jordanians' response to executions mixed Jordan’s execution of 11 prisoners last month took the kingdom by surprise and drew a mixed response, including among the royal family, with one prince criticizing it as a “step backward” for the country. Jordan
Yemen falling out of Saudis' grasp Saudi Arabia is struggling to form an effective Yemen strategy as its three main adversaries — the Shiite Houthis, al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood — continue to dominate the Yemeni arena. Saudi Arabia
Islamic State rejected Gaza jihadists' offer of allegiance A prominent pro-Islamic State Salafist leader in Gaza says the militant group refused pledges of allegiance from jihadists in Gaza because of disagreements and divisiveness among them. Palestine
Senior Fatah official: 'PA will never be disbanded' In an interview with Al-Monitor, Senior Fatah official Jibril Rajoub dismissed calls by colleagues that the Palestinian Authority might be disbanded in response to Israel withholding Palestinian tax revenue. Palestine
Why Israeli Arabs aren't voting in the next elections Residents of the Israeli Arab city Umm al-Fahm cited ongoing discrimination in employment and development resources as why they would not vote in upcoming elections. Israel
Israeli left's attack on Bennett boomerangs The recent attack by left-leaning Israeli media outlets against Naftali Bennett's military past only benefits him. Israel
PLO factions irked by Abbas’ unilateral decisions Although the decision to join the International Criminal Court has been welcomed by all in the PLO, several factions are irritated that President Mahmoud Abbas was not consulting the PLO on such major decisions. Palestine
Is the AKP shielding former ministers from corruption charges? A Turkish parliamentary inquiry commission has decided not to put former government ministers on trial for corruption. Turkey
Iran closes private TV channels for 'inciting sectarianism' In the name of battling sectarianism, Iran has closed the offices of several private Shiite news stations. Iran
Netanyahu's campaign focuses on IS threat The strong suit of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is his image on security issues, which is why he has chosen to focus the Likud's election campaign on the Islamic State threat and not on the economic crisis. Israel
Falling oil prices both blessing, curse for Egypt As the price of oil continues to decline, Egypt stands to both gain and lose: It will save in petroleum subsidies while the job market for Egyptian oil workers in the Gulf, a significant source of remittances, will decline. Egypt
