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
Commentary: Why the US is merging its Jerusalem consulate into embassy The United States announced that its office dealing with Palestinian affairs in Israel will merge with the US Embassy in Jerusalem, raising concerns among Palestinians. Palestine
Israel pays price for refusing peace talks On the backdrop of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to launch negotiations with the Palestinians, it is no wonder that Jordan decided not to renew Israel’s lease on lands near the border. Palestine
Israeli civil society, left-wing camp back in the game The Israeli left-wing camp and human rights organizations seem to have woken up and are ready to fight the Netanyahu government and its occupation policies. Palestine
Iran braces for more general strikes as budget negotiations in sight The recent string of strikes in Iran appeared geared to extract more concessions ahead of budget negotiations. Iran
Khashoggi killing undercuts Trump campaign against Iran The US campaign to convince the world to cut off Iran has taken a hit two weeks before oil sanctions are set to kick in. Saudi Arabia
Iran's Supreme Court upholds death sentences for corruption Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentences of two individuals charged with economic crimes in what the judiciary hopes is a “warning” to others. Iran
Turkey’s fantasy war on inflation Ankara has declared an “all-out fight against inflation,” cajoling sellers into 10% discounts and sending municipal police to hunt hoarders, and while this bizarre strategy is unlikely to bear fruit, it might be a sign of other plans that are being cooked up in Ankara. Turkey
Tunisia's foreign exchange reserves drained to new lows Since the beginning of the year, the foreign exchange reserves of Tunisia’s Central Bank have been dropping even as crucial economic sectors like tourism grow. Tunisia
Trump policies fire up evangelicals but divide Middle East Christians The US president is highlighting Middle East policies championed by American Christians as he seeks to energize his evangelical base ahead of next month’s elections. Egypt
US warns Lebanon that Hezbollah Cabinet pick would cross ‘red line’ The Trump administration might take limited measures that are not likely to alter the fundamentals of US policy in Lebanon should Hezbollah get the Health Ministry in the new Cabinet formation. Lebanon
UN speech angers Israeli human rights activists Criticism of the controversial speech by B’Tselem director Hagai El-Ad at the UN Security Council cut across the political divide to include some of his colleagues at other Israeli human rights organizations. Palestine
Hebrew University defies Israel on banishment of boycott activists The decision by the Hebrew University to join US student Lara Alqasem in her petition against Israeli authorities reflects a growing trend in which various public organizations launch battles of principle against government policy. Palestine
