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
Expansion plan for Palestinian town a power test for Liberman The battle over Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman’s plan to expand the Palestinian town of Qalqilya reflects division within the right-wing camp, ahead of the next elections. Palestine
Israeli judiciary’s double standard on Jewish, Arab terrorists The Israeli justice system appears to have a double standard on collective punishment for the families of Arabs who commit acts of terror and those of Jews who do the same. Palestine
Palestinian succession gets more complicated Hopes that Saeb Erekat, the head of the Palestinian negotiating team, would succeed President Mahmoud Abbas have been dashed by news that Erekat has to undergo an urgent lung transplant, thus further complicating the Palestinian political scene. Palestine
New Hamas chief's first speech reflects strategic shift Ismail Haniyeh's maiden speech as the head of Hamas' political bureau was uncharacteristically dry and vague for the movement, avoiding potentially divisive policy details and providing leeway for any future shift in positions. Palestine
Turkish-YPG clashes rage around critical sites in northern Syria Turkey and its allies among the Syrian rebel forces have intensified attacks on Syrian Kurdish fighters in northwest Syria as Turkey's buildup continues. Syria
Even through all his bluster, Erdogan's fear is obvious Despite massive purges since the attempted coup a year ago, Turkey's president and those around him are still afraid of their own military. Turkey
Israeli-Arab town's residents fear speaking out after Temple Mount attack Residents of Umm al-Fahm, an Israeli-Arab town that was home to the three perpetrators of Friday's Temple Mount attack, claim that ever since Islamic Movement’s northern branch leader Sheikh Raed Salah was elected mayor, the town has been turning extremely religious. Palestine
What Netanyahu told Macron in Paris French President Emmanuel Macron’s warm welcome in Paris of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shouldn’t fool Jerusalem; France will continue to criticize settlement construction and continue the quest for the two-state solution. Palestine
Arrest of Rouhani's brother reveals internal power struggle in Iran The arrest of Hassan Rouhani’s brother poses a major challenge for the Iranian president. Iran
Doomsday averted on the Temple Mount, for now Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas set aside their mutual loathing to calm tensions when Israeli Arabs launched a short-lived attack on the Temple Mount. Palestine
Syrian cease-fire a delicate balance of vastly different goals Iran welcomes the Russian/US truce initiative in southern Syria, but will Russia be able to keep juggling the broad, and often conflicting, interests of the various players? Syria
Protests continue in Morocco despite crackdown Hirak, a protest movement active in Morocco’s marginalized Rif region, is still going strong despite brutal police repression and arrests. Morocco
