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 Russia Does Not Believe Syria Used Chemical Weapons Russia does not believe that Syria used chemical weapons against insurgents, and therefore considers this week's revelation as information warfare to escalate the conflict, writes Fyodor Lukyanov. Syria
Hamas Targets Youth Through Social Media After the Arab revolutions’ success in employing social media in effecting change, Hamas leaders have hastened to join Facebook and Twitter to influence youth, writes Hazem Balousha. Palestine
Hezbollah's Drone Distraction Amid reports of a Hezbollah drone shot down over Israeli airspace, some believe that the party’s leadership was trying to divert growing criticism from its base, writes an Al-Monitor correspondent in Beirut. Lebanon
Iraqi Sectarian Violence Spreads After Hawija Deaths After dozens were killed when the Iraqi army stormed demonstrations in Hawija, sectarian violence seems to be escalating despite truce efforts, writes Ali Abel Sadah. Iraq
Is Hezbollah Losing Its Grip? The drone sent by Hezbollah to Israel must be interpreted as an outcry for survival by its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, writes Shlomi Eldar. Israel
Israel: The Olmert-Lapid Reckoning Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has announced his intention to run again for office, but he may run into Finance Minister Yair Lapid, his protege and the son of his late best friend, writes Mazal Mualem. Israel
PKK Peace Process on Track Turkey's legal Kurdish political party, the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), suggests it will oppose a constitutional amendment that would introduce an “oppressive and authoritarian presidential regime.” Turkey
Iraqi Kurdistan Faces A Hot Political Summer Massoud Barzani faces competition in his unprecedented bid for a third term in the coming presidential elections in Iraqi Kurdistan, writes Abdel Hamid Zebari. Iraq
Lebanon Loses Pierre Sadek, Prominent Political Cartoonist Lebanese caricaturist Pierre Sadek, a staunch defender of press freedom, passed away on April 24, reports Elie Hajj. Lebanon
Russia, The US and Syria After the Boston Bombing Vladimir Putin can remind Barack Obama that in Syria, as in Chechnya, misreading the essential nature of an insurgency has its price, writes Fyodor Lukyanov. Syria
Israeli Finance Minister Lapid Leaves Out Peace Akiva Eldar listened to the speech of Finance Minister Yair Lapid at the annual conference of the INSS, and remarked that the word “peace” was missing. Palestine
Iraqi Kurdistan Parties Concerned About New Electoral Law Minor political parties in Iraq’s Kurdistan region have expressed concerns that the new electoral system will not allow for proper representation, writes Abdel Hamid Zebari. Iraq
