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
Israel: From Startup Nation To Startup Peace To become an international success story and to reimagine itself as a place where entrepreneurship thrives, Israel must leave occupation behind, writes Nadav Eyal. Palestine
Iraqiya List Frays As Constituents Splinter As Iraq continues to struggle with widespread anti-government protests, the prominent Sunni Iraqiya list has gone through a series of defections that have dealt a serious blow to its influence, writes Ali Abel Sadah. Iraq
Hezbollah Says External Pressures Forced the Mikati Resignation Sources close to Hezbollah consider the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Mikati to be the result of pressure from outisde powers, writes Nasser Chararah. Lebanon
Palestinians in Jerusalem Skeptical of Arab Support Jerusalemites have heard Arab promises of support before, but have yet to see any of them fulfilled, Daoud Kuttab writes. Palestine
Settlers in Hebron Celebrate 'Freedom' While Palestinians Suffer As the Jewish people of the world celebrate Passover and their freedom, repression still stings in the streets of Hebron, where the conflict and discrimination epitomize the story of all Israeli settlement activity, writes Akiva Eldar. Palestine
Turkey's Top Religious Official Backtracks on Critique of Izmir Some speak out after Mehmet Gormez, Director of Religious Affairs, says Izmir has a different kind of religiosity that needs the wisdom of religious traditions, Tulin Daloglu writes. Turkey
UAE Arrests Activist For 'False News' Tweets An Emirati activist arrested and charged with "spreading false news" on Twitter is yet another sign of dwindling free speech in the United Arab Emirates, writes Matt Duffy. United Arab Emirates
Is Kuwait Serious About Bedoon Naturalization? Given the history of unfulfilled promises by the Kuwait government, the Bedoon community is skeptical of the country's seriousness in granting them citizenship, Mona Kareem writes. Legacy: Gulf
Gaza Fishermen Outraged By Renewed Israeli Restrictions Israel has again reduced Gaza's fishing zone to three nautical miles offshore, in violation of last November's cease-fire agreement with Hamas, Mohammed Suliman writes. Palestine
Egypt’s Interest in Iraq, Iran Is Economic, Not Ideological Despite the concerns of Gulf states that Egypt’s recent rapprochement with Iraq, and by extension Iran, is founded on an ideological basis, experts assert the reason is purely economic, Abdelrahman Youssef writes. Egypt
Anbar Protesters Form Committee To Negotiate With Maliki Four months into their demonstrations, the protesters of Anbar have formed a committee to negotiate with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and enter the political process, writes Ali Abel Sadah. Iraq
Maliki Takes Steps to Ease Political, Social Divisions in Iraq Following months of protests in Sunni-majority regions of Iraq, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has finally agreed to take steps to mitigate the crisis and listen to protesters’ demands, writes Mushreq Abbas. Iraq
