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
Why Egypt Shouldn't Break The Pro-Morsi Sit-Ins Egyptians are divided over whether Cairo's pro-Mohammed Morsi sit-ins should be allowed to continue or be broken up forcefully. Egypt
Turkish Pilots Abducted At Gunpoint in Beirut Two Turkish Airlines pilots were kidnapped in Beirut early Friday, Aug. 9, to put pressure on the Turkish government to help release nine Shiite Lebanese hostages in Syria since May 2012. Lebanon
Israel’s Labor Party Splits Again Knesset member Eitan Cabel says Labor Party leader Shelly Yachimovich must go. Israel
Erdogan Looks West Given Ankara’s misadventures in the Middle East, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s best option to fulfill his vision of a democratic Turkey is to pivot to the West. Turkey
Mayor of Upper Nazareth on Mission To Rid City of Arabs Embattled Upper Nazareth Mayor Shimon Gapso is running his campaign for reelection on expelling the city's Arab residents. Israel
Is Normalization Possible Before Israel Ends the Occupation? The resumption of peace talks has again raised the question of whether a people-to-people track should be pursued to boost the chances of peace. Palestine
Egypt, Sisi Straddle Past, Present and Future The legacy of former Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser hangs over the fate of Egypt and Defense Minister Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Egypt
Burden on Brotherhood To End Egypt’s Crisis For the Muslim Brotherhood to be brought into the political process, it must first accept the basic principles of Egyptian nationhood, sovereignty and identity. Egypt
Controversial Turkish Surgeon Odd Man Out in Ergenekon Trial A famous surgeon’s unexpected release in the Ergenekon trial deepens Turkey’s political fault lines. Turkey
Erdogan Prepares to Face Post-Ramadan Challenges Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be walking on eggshells after Ramadan to balance the popular reaction to the Ergenekon verdicts and Kurdish demands to advance the negotiation process. Turkey
Lebanon-Israel Border Incident Tests UNIFIL-Hezbollah Ties Following the Israeli military’s violation of the UN Blue Line this week, the reactions of both UNIFIL and Hezbollah may provide a litmus test for their relationship. Israel
