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
Turkish-Egyptian war of words in eastern Mediterranean heats up In an official statement, Egypt warned of any violation of its rights in the eastern Mediterranean region in response to the official Turkish position, which refused to recognize the legality of the agreement between Egypt and Cyprus on the exploitation of natural resources of the two countries’ exclusive economic zones. Egypt
Will Israel, Qatar cooperate to save Gaza? US Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt called for Israel and Qatar to cooperate in order to save the Gaza Strip from a humanitarian crisis. Qatar
Kurdish fighters join Turkey's Afrin operation In its intervention, Turkey is capitalizing on Kurdish fighters affiliated with the Free Syrian Army who want to liberate Afrin from Kurdish rivals. Syria
Israeli education minister prepares for Netanyahu’s succession battle HaBayit HaYehudi leader Naftali Bennett, the only Cabinet minister to criticize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after police recommended indicting him, is preparing for the fight to lead the Israeli right in the post-Netanyahu era. Israel
Sisi ensures shoo-in election, keeps rearranging staff People are questioning the timing of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s appointment of a close associate as acting intelligence director ahead of the presidential election. Egypt
Abbas draws two-year timeline According to Palestinian sources, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has given up on the Americans and is not ruling out an armed intifada. Palestine
Senate rebuffs White House request to water down Palestinian aid cuts The US Senate wants to beef up legislation cutting aid to the West Bank and Gaza Strip after the House passed a watered-down version last year at the insistence of President Donald Trump’s peace envoy. Palestine
Pentagon seeks massive boost in bomb budget for Iraq, Syria The Defense Department wants $1.8 billion for precision-guided munitions to finish wiping out the Islamic State. Iraq
Real target of Erdogan's Olive Branch could be US clout In the third week of Turkey's frustrating fight against Syrian Kurdish forces in Afrin, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may be betting on an even bigger payoff than domestic support: seeing the United States effectively pushed out of Syria. Syria
Turkish public divided over military's alliance with FSA Turkey’s preoccupation with military insignia helps deepen anti-Americanism while also signaling the top echelons’ obsession with the United States. Syria
Netanyahu focuses in on new archenemy The fact that Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid is a key witness in one of the cases against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes him Netanyahu’s most prominent political rival. Israel
Not all Coptic youths on board with church's support of Sisi As Egypt's presidential election approaches, some Coptic youths have decided to boycott the polls even as the Orthodox Coptic Church seems to be taking a strong stance in favor of President Sisi. Egypt
