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
Beirut on the Brink With Lebanon's leading troika abroad for diplomatic sessions, sectarian rifts have begun to reappear, and fears are growing that Syria’s conflict could leak over the Lebanese border, writes Jean Aziz. Lebanon
Saudi Executions Spur Internal Debate The execution of seven men by firing squad last week has ignited debate within the conservative kingdom on its approach to capital punishment, Ahmed al-Omran writes. Saudi Arabia
Reading Khamenei Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei does not rule out US-Iran talks, but he does not trust Washington's intentions. Iran
Obama: The Master Of Iran's Red Lines Israelis should be assured by President Barack Obama on Iran, Meir Javedanfar writes from Tel Aviv. Iran
Palestinian Disappointment Ahead of Obama's Visit Some Palestinians are planning creative protests for President Barack Obama's visit to the West Bank, Lena Odgaard reports. Palestine
Turkey in No Position To School Israel on Human Rights Until it comes terms with its own violations, Turkey should not offer lessons in human rights to other countries, writes Orhan Kemal Cengiz. Turkey
'The Mother of Martyrs' Leaves Bloody Legacy With the death of the “Mother of Martyrs,” Mariam Farhat, who sent her sons to commit suicide attacks in Israel, Shlomi Eldar hopes that her legacy of bloodshed will not survive her. Palestine
Turkey’s Kurdish Peace InitiativeLinked to Syria Turkey, both to protect itself from the potential negative consequences of regionalization of the Kurdish issue and to remove the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) as a threat, had no choice but to seek peace with its own Kurds, writes Kadri Gursel. Turkey
Muqtada al-Sadr Lashes Out Against US, Maliki Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has recently adopted methods used by his Lebanese counterpart Hassan Nasrallah, as Sadr mobilizes his supporters to protest against foreign powers and tyrannical regimes, writes Ali Abel Sadah. Iraq
Maliki Re-Elected as Head Of Dawa Party Under an almost full media blackout, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was re-elected as head of the Dawa Party for the third time, in what may mark the beginning of his battle to win a third prime ministerial term, Mushreq Abbas reports. Iraq
What Carter Can Teach Obama About Mideast Peace-Making If President Barack Obama has no set objectives in his forthcoming trip to the region, he should learn from Jimmy Carter and get serious about Middle East diplomacy, writes Geoffrey Aronson. Israel
Hezbollah Death Stirs Sectarian Tensions in Lebanon Tensions between Sunnis and Shiites in Lebanon are rising as a result of the conflict in Syria, reports an Al-Monitor correspondent in Lebanon. Lebanon
