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
Netanyahu needs Obama more than ever if talks fail Israeli Ambassador to Washington Ron Dermer participated in the Republican Jewish Coalition spring meeting, exactly when his prime minister needs the full support of US President Barack Obama for advancing negotiations or backing Israel in the case that they fail. Israel
Lebanon on wrong economic track Lebanon is trying to fix structural economic problems by raising taxes, which will make matters worse. Lebanon
Iraqi government submits controversial emergency powers bill The bill would give near-absolute powers to Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and is filled with loopholes and vague language. Iraq
Turkey's doctrine of pre-emptive authoritarianism Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “iron will” is tailor-made for a political culture in which concession is condemned as weakness and authoritarianism is praised as the only way to deal with opponents. Turkey
Kahlon's comeback doesn't worry Netanyahu Former Communications Minister Moshe Kahlon's popularity after the cell phone reform he championed might be enough to establish a mid-sized party, but his lack of diplomatic or security experience will pit his path to the premiership. Israel
Kerry's possible failure opens new, dark era in peace talks Even Menachem Begin did not support annexation of West Bank lands. Palestine
Erdogan pushes for interest rate cut Boosted by his party's performance in municipal elections, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has renewed pressure on the Central Bank to cut interest rates, but the bank fears premature cuts amid rising inflation could destabilize the economy. Turkey
Israel's Jewish people and the Palestinian public Since its founding, Israel has defined itself as both a Jewish and democratic state, while denying Palestinians their right to self-determination. Palestine
Israeli settlers attack IDF, Palestinians The Palestinians living in the villages near the Yitzhar settlement were not surprised this week at the violence perpetrated by the settlers on IDF soldiers: “If this is what they do to the soldiers, think what they do to us.” Palestine
Report on Renaissance Dam notes concerns for Egypt, Sudan A leaked international expert report on the Renaissance Dam says that Egypt and Sudan have not been given sufficient reassurances about the dam’s impact. Egypt
Israeli institute prepares priests for Jerusalem's third temple The movement to rebuild the third temple expands, with a first ever course to prepare the priests for the offering rituals, and with prefabricated models for the third temple's modernized artifacts. Israel
Veteran settler Katzover: Livni encourages boycott wave In an interview with Al-Monitor, veteran settler Benny Katzover says there's a link between the settlers' youth violence against IDF soldiers and the forced evacuation of illegal outposts, and Katzover does not worry about the boycott of products. Palestine
