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
Iran's supreme leader calls on Muslim world to arm Gaza Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has asked Muslim countries to ignore calls by the West to disarm Gaza. Palestine
What made Abbas change position on Gaza war? Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas surprised many, including his Palestinian critics, when he publicly expressed support for armed resistance against Israel in Gaza. Palestine
Turkish spy agency's image makeover Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) is undergoing a controversial image repair and institutional reconstruction after court proceedings revealed the agency's role in murders during the 1990s. Turkey
Obsession with Iran blinded Netanyahu to Hamas threat When the Gaza operation ends, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will have to justify his national defense priorities, as he relentlessly pushed the budget for funds against the Iranian nuclear threat while ignoring the tunnels Hamas was digging under Israel that threatened the residents of the south. Palestine
Netanyahu convinces Israelis of existential threat The Israeli public is lapping up the official line that Israel is fighting a "war of no choice" and ignoring the larger diplomatic context in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sabotaged the Palestinian unity government and suspended negotiations. Palestine
Baghdad seethes as Erbil hosts revolutionary tribal conference A revolutionary tribal leaders conference was held in Erbil, stirring harsh criticism from Baghdad that these armed groups are working with the Islamic State. Iraq
Pro-regime Syrians take risks to dodge draft The Syrian army is continuing to conscript recruits for compulsory military service, but young men, including supporters of the regime, are avoiding conscription at the risk of arrest and imprisonment. Syria
Reformist Iranian newspaper under fire for Gaza cartoon An Iranian newspaper is under fire for a cartoon depicting Palestinian civilians as being "neutral" victims in a war between two sides, which some have interpreted the depicted conflict as being between Israel and Iran. Iran
Israel’s public agenda shifts back to security Israeli citizens are experiencing their first real security threat since the social protests of 2011, threatening to turn the national priorities from socioeconomics and social justice back to security. Israel
Maliki furious over Jordan-hosted Sunni opposition conference The Iraqi opposition conference held in Jordan put the kingdom in an awkward position with Iraq's prime minister, but some in Iraq called for considering its resolutions because they reflect actual Sunni demands. Iraq
If Erdogan wins presidency, what next? If Recep Tayyip Erdogan is successful in Turkey's upcoming presidential elections, it could mark the rise of a one-man state. Turkey
Israeli shells fall on UN school during evacuation The wounded from the bombed UNRWA school in the Gaza Strip describe a scene of chaos and horror as hundreds gathered to board buses. Palestine
