Israeli Finance Minister Lapid Leaves Out Peace Akiva Eldar listened to the speech of Finance Minister Yair Lapid at the annual conference of the INSS, and remarked that the word “peace” was missing. Palestine
Iraqi Kurdistan Parties Concerned About New Electoral Law Minor political parties in Iraq’s Kurdistan region have expressed concerns that the new electoral system will not allow for proper representation, writes Abdel Hamid Zebari. Iraq
US, Iran Need to Address Nuclear Question Directly Regional security issues in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan can only serve as catalysts for a broader US-Iran nuclear dialogue, Kayhan Barzegar writes. Iran
Iraq: Who Is to Blame For the Hawija Violence? Dozens of demonstrators were killed and more than a hundred were injured in the Iraqi town of Hawija, prompting questions about who is responsible, writes Mushreq Abbas. Iraq
Lebanon Slips Into Syria Quagmire Nassif Hitti writes that Lebanon cannot distance itself from the Syria war. Lebanon
Jews in Egypt: The Story Of a Dying Community The passing of Carmen Weinstein, leader of the Egyptian Jewish community, symbolizes the near-end of the community in the land of the Nile, writes Jacky Hugi. Egypt
Turkey Should Acknowledge The Armenian Genocide Yavuz Baydar writes that Turkey should get ahead of the 2015 centennial commemoration of the Armenian genocide by acknowledging it, which would be a game-changer in Turkish politics. Turkey
Turkish Prosecutor Implicates Military in Ozal’s Murder Late Turkish president Turgut Ozal, who cut the military’s influence on politics, was allegedly murdered for supporting dialogue with the PKK, reports Ilnur Cevik. Turkey
To Morsi's Allies: It's the Economy, Stupid With the inevitable and imminent collapse of the economy under the Muslim Brotherhood, it’s time for the Brotherhood's allies to rethink their position on Egypt, writes Karim M. Abadir. Egypt
Gaza Herb Farmers Defy Israeli Siege Facing mounting challenges due to continued conflict with Israel, Gaza's herb farmers are working hard to stay afloat, Abeer Ayyoub reports. Palestine
Hezbollah Base Questions Support for Assad With Hezbollah members increasingly dying in Syria, some of the party’s base are re-evaluating its role in the conflict, writes an Al-Monitor correspondent in Beirut. Lebanon
Palestinians Turn to Facebook In Fight Against Occupation Despite a spike in social-media usage, Palestinian activists still face challenges translating online activism into mass mobilization, writes Linah Alsaafin. Palestine
Gaza's 'Arab Idol' Hopeful Salutes Palestinians Mohammed Assaf, Palestine's star candidate on the TV show "Arab Idol," sends a thank-you message back to his supporters in Gaza, reports Rami Almeghari. Palestine
Misconceptions Abound On Gaza's Women, Politics Contrary to what is often said about Gaza, not all women there are oppressed, writes Rana Baker. Palestine
Lebanese Statesman Chehab Fondly Remembered The 40th anniversary celebration for former President Fouad Chehab on April 23 was a timely reminder of a Lebanese statesman who did much for the country's development, writes Clovis Maksoud. Lebanon
Turkey Relieved Obama Did Not Use 'G' Word Ankara is pleased, again, that US President Barack Obama did not use the word “genocide” on this Armenian Remembrance Day, writes Tulin Daloglu. Turkey
