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 maneuver to get closer to Iran Following the rupture caused by the Sept. 25 independence referendum, the Kurdistan Regional Government and Iran are moving to bolster ties. Iraq
Turkish voices increasingly calling for dialogue with Assad Developments in Syria could force Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to swallow his antipathy to President Bashar al-Assad and establish some level of contact with him, as a growing number of Turks believe. Syria
Gaza suffering makes Israeli headlines at last Following his regular modus operandi, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has preferred so far to ignore the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Solar-powered mosque answers prayers in West Bank Palestinians are making deep inroads into renewable energy and looking forward to much greater independence as more solar power projects pop up all the time. Palestine
Will Europe be there when Israel needs it? If the Israeli government expects the international community to heed the “serious threat” posed by Iranian activity in the region, it must be prepared to discuss the serious threat posed by Israeli activity in the Palestinian territories it occupies. Palestine
Palestinians turn to Turkey The Palestinians are hopeful that Turkey’s promises of increased financial aid will make up for the losses resulting from the United States reducing its aid to UNRWA. Palestine
Egypt’s political parties choose to forgo challenging Sisi Egyptians will find slim pickings on their presidential election ballots come March, leaving the relevance of political parties in question. Egypt
Assad, Turkey hamper US assistance for Syria The Assad regime’s territorial gains and the Turkish offensive in Afrin are conspiring to keep the world’s largest aid donor on the sidelines. Syria
Netherlands withdraws ambassador from Turkey Turkish and Dutch relations are once again under strain as the Dutch ambassador is recalled from Ankara. Turkey
Lebanon gears up for a 'realignment' election Is the excessive and precarious pandering to voters ahead of Lebanon's first parliamentary elections since 2009 a prelude to a post-election realignment of the political system? Lebanon
IDF sounds alarm on Gaza The Israeli government has been warned by the military that Gaza is on the verge of a humanitarian crisis and that Israel must act to avoid its total collapse. Palestine
Russia's retaliation for downed jet has just begun Many questions are being raised about the Russian jet shot down Saturday over Idlib, Syria, and Russia is investigating to find out who actually did the shooting and who supplied the weapons. Syria
![A picture taken on February 3, 2018, shows smoke billowing from the site of a downed Sukhoi-25 fighter jet in Syria's northwest province of Idlib.
Rebel fighters shot down a Russian plane over Syria's northwest Idlib province and captured its pilot, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
/ AFP PHOTO / OMAR HAJ KADOUR / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [in Syria's northwest province of Idlib.](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2018/02/GettyImages-913730440.jpg/GettyImages-913730440.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=ehUK8ZcX)
