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
Liberman Waits for Chance To Collect on Political Debts The man behind Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's electoral victory is none other than former Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman, and he will not let the premier forget it, writes Ben Caspit. Israel
How Much Real Progress Did Obama Make in Israel? The positive impression US President Barack Obama left in Israel will not last long in a Middle East where goodwill is never enough, warns Nadav Perry. Palestine
Tripoli: A Powder Keg of Fundamentalism The northern Lebanese city of Tripoli has been severely affected by the conflict in neighboring Syria, with heightened sectarian tensions threatening an outbreak of civil war, writes Jean Aziz. Lebanon
Syrian Crisis Plays Major Role In Israeli Apology Israel apologized to Turkey for the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident to keep Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the side of United States and Israel — and in line. Syria
Obama Calls for Peace Talks Without Conditions Obama called on Palestinians to begin talks with Israel despite settlement activity; Iraq is on edge; and it's unclear if a Kurdish initiative and Netanyahu’s apology represent new trends in Turkish foreign policy. Palestine
Turks and Israelis Alike Welcome Reconciliation The announcement of a historic reconciliation between Turkey and Israel catches Shlomi Eldar in the middle of a family vacation in Antalya. Israel
Mikati’s Resignation Puts Lebanon At a Crossroads After two prior threats to quit, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati resigned, leaving Lebanon with its third power vacuum in 25 years, writes Jean Aziz Lebanon
Mikati Bites The Bullet, Resigns Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced his resignation, in a move many attribute to his government's inability to hold parliamentary elections on schedule, writes Elie Hajj. Lebanon
Differences Deepen Between Iraqi Kurdish Parties Differences between the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan are coming to the surface, Abdel Hamid Zebari writes. Iraq
Mixed Reactions in Bethlehem To President Obama's Visit Daoud Kuttab reports on US President Barack Obama’s visit to Bethlehem, and the people's mixed reaction. Palestine
What Begin Would Have Told Obama Shlomi Eldar considers what a meeting between former Prime Minister Menachem Begin and current US president Barack Obama would have looked like, being reminded of Begin’s meetings with President Jimmy Carter, which paved the way for a peace agreement with Egypt. Israel
Obama Connects With Israeli Youth Just as fascinating as the messages Obama conveyed at the Israeli Convention Center in Jerusalem was the way they were received by the young audience, writes Mazal Mualem. Israel
