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
Iraqi Kurds Seek Recognition Of Genocide by Saddam Nearly 25 years after the Iraqi Kurdish city of Halabja was attacked with chemical weapons, the Kurdistan Regional Government continues to seek international recognition of the Anfal as genocide, reports Abdel Hamid Zebari. Iraq
Israeli Authorities Mostly Ignore Settler Attacks on Palestinian Village The inhabitants of the Palestinian village of Qusra are regularly attacked by the Israeli settlers from nearby settlements, with the Israeli authorities doing little to help, reports Naela Khalil. Palestine
Israel: From Kitchenette to Octet Akiva Eldar wonders why women in Israel are excluded from all focal points of crucial decision-making. Israel
Will 'Almaty 2' Talks in April Win Breakthrough on Iran? The Iran-P5+1 talks in Almaty last month were just a start, but the stage is set for a possible breakthrough in the next round, Almaty 2, scheduled for April, writes Seyed Hossein Mousavian. Iran
Speaker Accuses Maliki of Meddling In Iraq's Independent Commissions Iraqi Speaker of the Council of Representatvies Osama Al-Nujaifi has criticized Prime MInister Nouri Al-Maliki for interfering in Iraq's independent commissions, provoking strong responses from Maliki's State of Law Coalition, reports Ali Abel Sadah. Iraq
Next Israeli Government Will Be 'Short Term,' Says Knesset Member Knesset member Moshe Gafni from the ultra-Orthodox Yahadut HaTorah party explains to Mazal Mualem the failings of both Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and HaBayit HaYehudi Chairman Naftali Bennett, predicting political disaster if they are included in the next Israeli government. Israel
Yair Lapid, Beppe Grillo And Social Justice Nadav Eyal compares the aftermath of the Italian Five Star movement to the Israeli social justice protest and considers that new Israeli faces can and might deliver. Israel
Hamas Bars Women From Gaza Marathon Hamas' decision to bar women from UNRWA's annual Gaza marathon might have more to do with politics than religion, Abeer Ayyoub reports. Palestine
Kurdish MP Displays Turkish Unity Abroad While traveling with Turkish Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan, BDP Hakkari Deputy Esat Canan, a Kurd, revealed a common purpose in promoting Turkey abroad, writes Tulin Daloglu. Turkey
Erdogan Wins Palestinian Hearts and Minds Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s increasing political and economic support for the Palestinians has strengthened Turkey's ties with both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, writes Adnan Abu Amer. Palestine
Palestinians, Activists Protest Israeli Settlement in Hebron Nowhere are Israeli settlement policies more evident and combustible than in the Palestinian city of Hebron, Daoud Kuttab writes. Palestine
Ahmadinejad’s Budget Is About Iran’s Elections Iranian President Ahmadinejad has proposed a budget that empowers the president’s office and shows that he is still up for a political battle in his final months in office, writes Mohammad Ali Shabani. Iran
