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
Russia Still Key to Syrian Transition Fyodor Lukyanov analyzes Russia's role in a political transition in Syria, including President Assad’s proposal for dialogue with moderate opposition leaders. Syria
Armed Syrian Opposition Enables Assad's Hold on Power Tulin Daloglu reports on how the armed opposition to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has hindered efforts for a political solution in Syria. Syria
Morsi Manages Egypt’s Economic Decline Nervana Mahmoud writes that Egypt’s economy today recalls the worst days of the 1970s, and that President Morsi’s priority will be to appease the Islamists on the right and prevent a food riot. Egypt
Saudi Arabia Faces New Challenge From Its Restive Youth A new book by a veteran American journalist Caryle Murphy predicts that Saudi Arabia faces an “increasingly bumpy” two decades as its youth — who make up more than 60% of the population — demand jobs, economic justice and greater individual freedom. Saudi Arabia
Academic World of Ultra-Orthodox Students in Israel Rabbi Ovadia Yosef’s eldest daughter, Adina Bar-Shalom, talks about her life project in an interview to Tali Heruti-Sover: A new kind of academia combining the highest level of teaching and still adapted to the needs of Ultra-Orthodox students. Israel
The New Line on the State of Palestine Passport Daoud Kuttab discusses the implications of the State of Palestine passports. Palestine
Shimon Peres: Frustration and Disappointment with Netanyahu In recent years, President Shimon Peres kept on believing that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would adhere to his vision of peace, while the Prime Minister steps away from his Bar Ilan speech and gets closer to his right wing electorate, writes Mazal Mualem. Palestine
Is Hamas Laying a Trap For Fatah in West Bank? The rally in support of Fatah in Gaza last week does not necessarily mean reconciliation; it might be a sign of Hamas' ambitions in the West Bank, writes Shlomi Eldar. Palestine
Israel's 'Forgotten Voters' Key To Center-Left Race Against Bibi In order to create a credible opponent to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's center-left parties must reach out to the "forgotten" voters: Israeli Arabs, women and the Russian immigrants, writes Akiva Eldar. Israel
Lebanon and the FutureOf 'Greater Syria' One consequence of the Syrian crisis may be the end of its "greater Syria" approach to Lebanon, writes Mohammad Harfoush. Lebanon
Dealing with Ocalan Not Enough For Erdogan Kadri Gursel writes that whether the Turkish government’s intention is to stall for time with Ocalan to secure another violence-free election period or whether it is truly an intention to solve the Kurdish issue, the task of the AKP is a formidable one. Turkey
