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 UN Ambassador Welcomes Geneva II Conference on Syria Mohammad Khazaee, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, discusses Iran’s position on Syria in an email interview with Al-Monitor. Turkey
Israeli Labor Party Plots Comeback Veteran Labor members are planning to replace party chair Shelly Yachimovich with popular former Israeli chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi. Israel
Kerry’s 'Shawarma Diplomacy' Wins Mixed Palestinian Response US Secretary of State John Kerry’s unscheduled detour in the West Bank to buy a shawarma sandwich has given rise to speculation about his motives. Palestine
AKP Wages Jihad Against Alcohol in Turkey The AKP’s draft law of aggressive alcohol restrictions aims not only to engineer an Islamic society but to prevent possible losses in its conservative electoral base. Turkey
Tunisian Youth Disillusioned With Politics Young Tunisian independent activists are sitting out party politics and looking for other outlets of change. Culture & Society
Maliki Scrambles to Address Deteriorating Iraqi Security Iraq's leaders have no answers as they struggle to reassure Iraqis after a wave of terrorist bombings. Iraq
Memo to John Kerry: 'Two-State Solution' Bankrupt Kilometers of fine roads testify to the fact that illegal outposts in the West Bank flourish under the auspices of the Israeli government. Palestine
Report Blasts Women's Exclusion From Israel's Public Sphere Though Israel prides itself as being enlightened, the Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein has recommended criminalizing the exclusion of women from the public sphere. Israel
Lebanese Politics Affected By Syrian Battle for Qusair The fall of the Syrian town of Qusair to regime forces will likely have consequences for Lebanon. Lebanon
The Limits to Europe's Pivot to the Gulf As the US strategic posture pivots toward Asia, Europe is looking again at the Gulf. Legacy: Gulf
Syrian Minister Defends 'Legitimate Right' to Fire on Israel An exchange of fire between Israel and Syria on the Golan Heights raises the question of whether Damascus has adopted a new policy toward Israel and the possibility of an active Golan front. Israel
Gaza Prisoner's Wife Impregnated Via Sperm Smuggled From Jail With many married Palestinian prisoners unable to have children because they are separated from their wives, some are resorting to in-vitro fertilization after smuggling their sperm samples from prison. Palestine
