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
Why jailed founders of Egyptian youth movement have not been pardoned The youth pardon committee set up by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has not recommended the release of three young political activists who participated in Egypt’s revolutions. Egypt
Jordan, Fatah’s Achilles’ heel Jordan is perhaps Fatah’s most strategic geographic partner, and thus it was a no-brainer that Fatah accepted the request by Jordan not to have any Jordanian Palestinian delegates attend the seventh Fatah congress. Palestine
How Trump can deal with Iran-GCC conflict Looking ahead, the election of Donald Trump can pave the way for the establishment of initiatives to jump-start a dialogue between Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Legacy: Gulf
Dahlan loyalists announce alternative Fatah conference As Fatah convenes its leadership conference today, excluded leader Mohammed Dahlan and his current have promised to hold a parallel conference. Palestine
Lebanon halts work as Palestinians reject wall around refugee camp The Lebanese government’s decision to build a wall at the southern Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh sparks angry reactions from Palestinian factions. Palestine
Iraq wrangling with $26.6 billion budget deficit The parliament is studying Iraq’s controversial 2017 budget this week, with the main challenges coming from a significant deficit and disagreements over allocations. Iraq
Why Israel is closely following Fatah convention As Fatah starts its convention Nov. 29, Israeli intelligence sources warn that the Palestinian youth might turn their anger over the corrupt Palestinian political system to Israel. Palestine
Battle of the generations kicks off in Hamas Young Hamas members are raising their voices against the deteriorating political and economic situation in the Gaza Strip and rejecting ideas by some of their leaders that are inconsistent with their line of thought, as if the era of full compliance with commands is over. Palestine
Why Russia isn’t rushing to lift sanctions on Turkey Russia appears to be in no hurry to remove all of its sanctions against Turkey, even though it’s been a year since they were imposed. Turkey
Deadly train crash in Iran prompts resignation, arrests The backlash over one of the deadliest train crashes in the history of Iran brings down the head of the country’s railways and leads to the arrests of multiple officials. Iran
Did IS kill Turkish troops in Syria? The Turkish government is remaining silent while some say the Islamic State — not the Syrian air force, as Ankara claims — was responsible for an attack on Turkish forces in northern Syria. Syria
What do Kurds expect from Trump? Turkey's Kurds are wondering what kind of policy President-elect Donald Trump will follow on Turkey's Kurdish problem. Turkey
