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 starts vaccinating prisoners after delay After Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit warned that keeping them lower in the queue was illegal, Public Security Minister Amir Ohana ordered the prison services to start vaccinating elderly inmates. Israel
Egypt dodges Trump’s ire as White House orders massive last-minute aid cuts The outgoing president briefly sought to freeze all US military aid to Egypt over its purchase of Russian military hardware, but the White House revised the decision before notifying Congress, Al-Monitor's sources said. Egypt
Erdogan calls for 'positive steps' with Biden on F-35 program The Turkish president called Turkey's suspension from the F-35 program a "serious wrong" from a NATO ally. Turkey
Is Israel’s Arab Joint List breaking up ahead of March elections? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu campaigns in Nazareth for the Arab vote. Israel
Moscow stands to gain from Hamas-Damascus reconciliation While claims that Russia is playing a large role in reconciliation talks between the Palestinian movement Hamas and the Syrian regime may be overstated, Moscow could benefit in several ways if the two sides restore relations. Palestine
Egyptian who ruled in favor of ceding key islands to Saudi Arabia voted parliament speaker Egypt’s parliament elected Hanafy Ali el-Gebaly as its new speaker, raising controversy as Gebaly chaired the Supreme Constitutional Court that validated an agreement under which Egypt agreed to transfer the strategic Tiran and Sanafir islands to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Oman moves ahead with overdue reforms Oman's leadership pushes ahead with reforms, cornered by the COVID-19 crisis and long-standing weaknesses in the local economy. Activists call for a constitutional monarchy. Oman
Iran to manufacture uranium metal in latest violation of nuclear deal Tehran officials informed the United Nations' nuclear watchdog that assembly equipment is being prepared to produce the nuclear fuel. Iran
Houthi terror designation 'death sentence' for Yemenis, UN officials warn United Nations officials took aim at the US plan to label Yemen's Houthis a foreign terrorist organization that relief groups say will imperil aid deliveries to the war-torn country. Yemen
Joint List frets as Netanyahu courts Arab voters Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is campaigning for Arab-Israeli votes — and some analysts say he may well find the support he needs for reelection. Israel
Egypt resumes trade at Sinai port as Islamic State threat regresses Egypt has recently reopened the Al-Arish port in North Sinai as part of efforts to revive the economy in the area that has struggled under years of Islamist insurgency. Egypt
Palestinian factory workers strike in West Bank industrial zone Palestinian workers at the Yamit factory in a West Bank industrial zone are striking for their first substantial raise in decades. Palestine
