Mayor Plans to Limit Arab Growth in Nazareth Mayor Shimon Gapso tells Daniel Ben Simon he intends to limit the proportion of Arab residents in Upper Nazareth. Israel
Maliki Threatens Political Rivals As Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s opponents amplify their calls for a parliamentary hearing, he threatens to reveal which of them were involved in acts of terrorism, writes Mushreq Abbas. Iraq
Iranian-Americans Oppose Strike; Want Focus on Human Rights In the large Iranian diaspora in the US, only a small fraction backs any recognized opposition group, and the Mujaheddin-e Khalq is the least popular, reports Barbara Slavin. Iran
Do Gaza’s Christians Feel Safe? Following Hamas’ rise to power in the Gaza Strip in 2006 and subsequent “Islamizing” campaigns, the region’s Christians have faced increasing animosity and often felt targeted, writes Asmaa al-Ghoul. Palestine
Encroaching Syrian Conflict Pits Hezbollah Against Jabhat al-Nusra Border villages of Hezbollah-backed Shiites sympathetic to Assad are clashing with the Sunni Jabhat al-Nusra, reports an Al-Monitor correspondent in Beirut. Lebanon
Gaza's Historic Turkish Bath Still Entices Tourists Gaza's 1,000-year-old hammam, or Turkish bath, is a rare, relaxing luxury in a territory besieged by conflict, writes Abeer Ayyoub. Palestine
'Church of Nativity' Exiles Still Waiting to Return Israel has continued to block the return of Palestinians who were forcibly removed from Bethlehem 11 years ago to end the siege of the Church of the Nativity, writes Khaled Kraizim. Palestine
Fayyad’s Resignation: It’s Not Just the Occupation Shlomi Eldar responds to Daoud Kuttab’s article, and notes other reasons for the Palestinian prime minister’s resignation. Palestine
The Middle East's Dangerous Triangle Nassif Hitti writes that the Middle East is trapped in a triangle of tension among three major crises. Lebanon
Gaza Schoolchildren Receive Military Training From Hamas The Hamas government in Gaza has begun a program to provide military training for boys, and soon for girls, to prepare them for any future confrontation with Israel, writes Hazem Balousha. Palestine
As Qatar Supports Egypt, Many Egyptians Unexcited Many Egyptians are concerned at Qatar's growing influence in their country, but Bassem Sabry asks if Egypt can afford to refuse Qatari aid at such a crucial time. Qatar
Ex-Officials Urge Obama: Run, Don't Walk to Iran Diplomacy Former US officials urge Obama administration to open a bilateral channel to Tehran and discuss Syria and other regional issues, as well as Iran’s nuclear program. Iran
Egyptian Fighters Join 'Lesser Jihad' in Syria Mohamed Fadel Fahmy reports on Egyptian jihadists who are fighting in Syria. Egypt
Qatar’s Political Influence on Hamas With its headquarters in Qatar, Hamas will have to accept the spirit and direction of its new patron, Emir Hamed Bin Khalifa Al Thani, writes Shlomi Eldar. Qatar
Turkey's Backward Freedom Agenda While historic churches risk conversion to mosques in Turkey, a world class concert pianist Fazil Say gets jail time for insulting Muslims, writes Tulin Daloglu. Turkey
Former IDF Spokesman: Israel Needs Its Own 'Al Jazeera' TV Former IDF spokesperson and Knesset member Nachman Shai explains, in an interview with Mazal Mualem, why Israel fails again and again in the media-diplomacy battlefield. Israel
