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
Egyptian law seeks to control political speech at mosques Egypt’s new Law of Oration has stirred conflicting opinions, as some consider it a government attempt to control religious discourse, while others argue it aims at limiting the use of religion for political reasons. Egypt
Would Israel cut a deal with Hamas for kidnapped students? Contrary to the Gilad Shalit kidnapping, when 1,027 Palestinian prisoners were released, the right-wing community of the current kidnapped might not be ready to cut such a deal or give up land to bring the children home. Palestine
Mothers of kidnapped Israelis get cold shoulder at UN After speaking at the UN Human Rights Council, the mother of one of the kidnapped Israeli students lamented, "The world is indifferent; it does not heed our cries." Israel
AKP seeks to 'legalize' PKK peace talks Turkey’s ruling party has drafted a bill that puts the peace process with the PKK in a legal framework, which is also seen as a means for the AKP to win Kurdish support in the August presidential elections. Turkey
Erdogan: 'No one should expect me to provoke ISIS' Turkey pursues a cautious policy while Iraq's military crisis escalates. Iraq
Will Assad reach out to 'national opposition' in Syria? According to Syrian officials, the re-elected President Bashar al-Assad will likely carry messages of reform and rapprochement with the so-called “national opposition” in his July 17 address marking his third term. Syria
Iraq’s ambassador to US: war with ISIS 'acid test' of US-Iraq ties Lukman Faily, Iraq’s ambassador to the United States, says that in light of the urgency of the Iraq crisis, “we will not be in a position to choose our partners and whoever is available to help us in our survival war, then we will take that.” Saudi Arabia
Gender segregation in Israeli schools a social 'disaster' In an interview with Al-Monitor, former education minister, professor Amnon Rubinstein, criticizes both government and opposition for neglecting the issue of higher education accessibility as a tool to narrow social gaps. Israel
Hamas gains in backlash to Abbas speech President Mahmoud Abbas’ speech in which he emphasized security coordination with Israel has seen a fierce backlash from the Palestinian street, givng Hamas a likely poll boost. Palestine
Palestinian budget burdened by hefty pensions for ministers The latest unity government is the 17th Palestinian government in two decades, and an enormous number of former ministers are enjoying excessive benefits the government cannot afford. Palestine
Erdogan's reforms meant to educate 'pious generation' A far-reaching overhaul underway in Turkey’s educational system indicates that the government uses education as a tool to shape conservative and pious students. Turkey
Allawi: US policy toward Iraq 'without a compass' In an interview with Al-Monitor, former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi says that the Iraqi army "has lost its identity and its role" as a result of the current Iraqi government's policies. Iraq
