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
Statements on forming new Iraqi provinces cause uproar Iraq’s Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Torhan al-Mufti caused an uproar when he made statements that the government had decided to transform two Turkmen-majority districts into provinces, yet the actual governmental decisions left the matter open. Iraq
Russia considers role in peace talks, Gaza energy The Kremlin prefers a multilateral, not bilateral, approach to the peace process, while Gazprom considers opportunities in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Syrian foreign minister calls for national unity government In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Walid Moallem, Syria's minister of foreign affairs and expatriates, said that the Syrian National Coalition's rejection of a resolution condemning terrorism was "unfortunate and strange." Syria
Iraqi liberals losing ground to Islamists Although liberal and civil Iraqi figures have formed a new alliance to compete in upcoming parliamentary elections, they seemed to have garnered little popular support amid an increasingly sectarian atmosphere. Iraq
US policies in Lebanon well-received Lebanese Sunnis appreciate US support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Christians see a US convergence with the Vatican and “Orthodox Russia” and Shiites see the United States as against the Sunni fundamentalist project that came in the wake of the Arab Spring. Lebanon
Kerry may address Israeli public on peace deal Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman agree on most points of US Secretary of State John Kerry's ''terms of reference'' document. Palestine
Crime, arms possession increase in Israeli Arab society In an interview with Al-Monitor, Knesset member Issawi Frej deplores the increase of weapons within Israeli Arab society and criticizes Israeli policy for not dealing with the phenomenon. Israel
Checkpoint hardship for sick Gazans seeking care in Israel Some sick patients in the Gaza Strip have reported that Israeli security officers offered to exchange travel permits for information. Palestine
Egyptian woman attacked in Tahrir Square as police watch, laugh On the anniversary of Egypt's Day of Rage, an Egyptian woman is subjected to the same police brutality her fellow citizens revolted against three years ago. Egypt
Israeli Knesset member calls US pressure 'pure anti-Semitism' In an interview with Al-Monitor, Knesset member Moti Yogev attacks US Secretary of State John Kerry for his role as mediator and warns President Shimon Peres is "delusional" for preaching in favor of a Palestinian state. Palestine
Baghdad, Erbil continue their struggle for authority Disagreements between the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government and the central government in Baghdad will persist until the two sides reach agreement on interpretation of the constitution. Iraq
