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
Herzog stands by Netanyahu on Gaza In an interview, Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog explains that he backed the operation in the Gaza Strip in the interest of solidarity, but when the dust settles, nothing will have changed between him and the prime minister. Israel
Only Israel can break through diplomatic impasse The continued conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is not due to an Arab rejection of Israeli existence, but to Israel’s rejection of Arab acceptance. Palestine
UAE tries to scuttle Qatar-Saudi reconciliation There are signs that ties between Qatar and Saudi Arabia are improving, but the United Arab Emirates is maintaining a hard-line position on Doha, threatening Gulf reconciliation. Saudi Arabia
Israel’s agreement on Gaza must come from Abbas Four conditions are indispensable to ending Gaza's agony that, if met, will make it “obvious that Hamas’ way of terror brought nothing but devastation” and the way of Ramallah, negotiation and not violence “is the way for the Palestinian people to achieve its rights.” Palestine
Ayatollah Khamenei, Assad spoke of reforms Iran's former ambassador to Syria conceded in an interview that the Syrian government made mistakes in the first stages of the Syrian protests and revealed that Iran's supreme leader wrote a letter to Syria's president urging reforms. Syria
Does Netanyahu's political future depend on Hamas? The Israeli prime minister is on shaky ground after acting against the will of his electorate concerning Gaza, but he has a historic opportunity to recreate himself as a leader by spearheading fresh new diplomatic moves that appeal to the Israeli center. Palestine
Saudi Arabia losing influence in Yemen Saudi Arabia once enjoyed unrivalled influence in Yemen, but the transition of power and breakdown of state have allowed other foreign powers, particularly Qatar and Iran, to get a stake in Yemeni affairs. Saudi Arabia
Gaza war stifles democracy in Israel The current Israel-Hamas conflict has generated an aggressive political patriotic discourse in Israel that has taken a heavy toll on Israeli democracy, in which those who dare to oppose the operation are expected to keep silent. Palestine
Egypt squanders Gaza war opportunities Unlike during previous wars in the Gaza Strip, Egypt — distracted by its own internal affairs — is isolated politically while its Gazan neighbors across the border in Rafah find themselves in a dire situation. Palestine
Gazans irritated as Turkey focuses only on Hamas While some Gazans see Turkey as a true supporter of Gaza, others see it as a supporter of only Hamas and question Turkey’s sincerity. Palestine
New alliances for a 2015 Middle East peace conference? The Gaza conflict demonstrates that Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan and Saudi Arabia share common regional interests, which could lead them to an international peace conference based on the Arab League's peace initiative. Saudi Arabia
Rouhani slams Israel for 'genocide' in Gaza At a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Israel's policy is simply to eradicate the Palestinians. Palestine
