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
Is Trump’s Jerusalem decision winner for Iran? Islamic Jihad gains momentum in the Gaza Strip, US-Jordan relations are shaken, US-Turkey relations worsen and Iran reaps the benefits without lifting a finger. Palestine
Will Bahrain, Israel establish formal relations in 2018? Bahrain could become the first Gulf Cooperation Council member to establish official diplomatic and trade relations with Israel, though this may largely depend on the GCC states' response to the Jerusalem crisis. United Arab Emirates
Congress acts to jump-start Jordan’s private sector A key House panel voted this week to establish an enterprise fund that Amman had previously resisted. Jordan
Russia seeks well-rounded relations with Libyan factions Russian envoy on Libya Lev Dengov talks with Al-Monitor about Moscow's plans with Libya. Libya
Iran moves to tax its frequent travelers The Rouhani administration has come under fire for proposing higher departure taxes for Iranians who travel frequently. Iran
Trump's Jerusalem move puts US, Turkey on collision course The Organization of Islamic Cooperation convened in Istanbul this week to challenge Trump's decision on Jerusalem while the Trump administration prepares a new potential strategy for how to deal with Turkey. Israel
Turkey backtracking on 'red lines' for Syria's Kurds President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reportedly agreed to accept Kurdish participation at the Syria congress in Sochi, as long as those Kurds do not belong to the Democratic Union Party. Syria
Jordan launches diplomatic offensive against US Jerusalem move How far can Jordan’s king go in opposing the US president's Jerusalem stance without risking a backlash that could hurt his strategic relationship with Washington? Palestine
Gaza's cancer patients face nightmarish struggle to reach treatment In 2017, at least 20 patients in the Gaza Strip have died after not being allowed to access medical treatment in Israel and the West Bank. Palestine
No peace meetings on Israeli education minister's watch Minister of Education Naftali Bennett is working not only to promote his ideological and political worldview in the school system, but also to block students from interacting with human rights and peace organizations that advocate values challenging his own. Palestine
Israeli government may step back from new national trail Many oppose an Israeli government proposal to develop a new national trail that would pass through the West Bank and the Golan Heights; the government may now only develop local trails instead. Palestine
