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
New Gaza Education Law Imposes Gender Segregation A law has been passed by the government of Hamas in Gaza requiring all students to be segregated by gender from the age of nine, Hazem Balousha reports. Palestine
Tammam Salam Likely March 14 Candidate for Lebanese Premier Tammam Salam, a parliamentary representative from Beirut and a member of the March 14 coalition, looks to be a likely candidate for prime minister of Lebanon, Elie Hajj writes. Lebanon
Iran Seeks to Retain Influence In Palestinian Affairs Iran is not giving up on its ties with Hamas, but is looking for alternatives to maintain its leverage in Palestinian affairs, writes Adnan Abu Amer. Palestine
Iraqi Government Warns Kurdistan Region Against 'Smuggling' Oil The ongoing dispute over oil between the central Iraqi government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government in Erbil has intensified, writes Omar al-Shaher. Iraq
Ghazi Hamad: Hamas Agrees To Accept State Within '67 Borders In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, the deputy foreign minister of the Hamas government, Ghazi Hamad, explains the far-reaching change in attitudes under way in his movement and the unchanged approach of not recognizing Israel. Palestine
Exclusive: Al-Zahar, Meshaal's Rival, Out of Hamas Leadership Shlomi Eldar has learned that Mahmoud al-Zahar, a rival of Khaled Meshaal, has been removed from the Hamas political bureau. Palestine
KRG Minister: Our Problem With Baghdad Lies in the Budget The Kurdistan Regional Government’s reconstruction minister talks about the ministry’s plans to revitalize the housing sector and notes that the region’s problems with Baghdad center on budget allocations, writes Abdel Hamid Zebari. Iraq
Yair Lapid: Israel's Minister For Facebook Affairs Israeli Finance Minister Yair Lapid is busy writing amusing feuilletons on his Facebook page, writes Mazal Mualem, revealing his lack of understanding of the true needs of the country's middle class. Israel
Egypt and Hamas Try to Resolve Differences Relations between Hamas and Egypt are far from perfect, writes Omar Shaban. Palestine
Hamas Re-Elects Meshaal For a Fourth Term Hamas has re-elected Khaled Meshaal to head the movement for a fourth term, writes Hazem Balousha. Palestine
Turkey Seeks Ottoman Sphere Of Influence Normalization of ties with the Kurds and Israel are part of a broader strategy for an Ottoman sphere of influence and confrontation with the "Shiite axis," writes Kadri Gursel. Turkey
Why Khaled Meshaal Should Thank Israel The Israeli military operation in Gaza positioned Khaled Meshaal, head of the Hamas political bureau, to be re-elected to the leadership of Hamas, writes Shlomi Eldar. Palestine
