Jordan Prepares for Syrian Spillover The visit by US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to Jordan on April 23 underscored the urgency of the Syrian crisis for the Hashemite Kingdom, writes Osama Al Sharif from Amman. Jordan
Facebook Replaces Cafeteria As Hub for Israeli Politicians The Knesset cafeteria, once the place to see and to be seen, is being replaced nowadays by Facebook, writes Mazal Mualem. Israel
Erdogan’s Many Positions On the Kurdish Issue Numerous flip-flops in Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's approach to the Kurdish issue raise doubts about results of negotiations with the Kurdistan Workers Party, writes Tulin Daloglu. Turkey
Western Sahara Seeks to Expand UN Peacekeeping Mandate While Morocco, backed by France, continues to fight the Sahrawi people’s struggle for greater self-determination, efforts are growing to monitor human rights in Western Sahara, writes Kaci Racelma. Originals
Israeli-Turkish Reconciliation Not a Done Deal Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan's aspirations to become leader of the Sunni Muslim world could hinder rebuilding strategic ties with Israel, argues Ben Caspit. Israel
Turkish Ultranationalists Up the Ante for Erdogan Turkish ultranationalists are creating a potential challenge to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party in the run-up to next year’s municipal and presidential elections, writes Semih Idiz. Turkey
Low Turnout in Iraqi Elections As most of Iraq’s provinces headed to the polls, low voter turnout, technical errors and some incidents of violence served as reminders of the issues still plaguing Iraqi society, writes Ali Abel Sadah. Iraq
Israel Should Embrace Immigrants From Africa Instead of rejecting African immigrants, Israel should integrate them, becoming a multicultural society such as in Europe, writes Shlomi Eldar. Israel
Gaza’s Academics Face Censorship in Classroom Academics at Gaza’s universities are facing increasing censorship from conservative and Islamist parties, writes Asmaa al-Ghoul. Palestine
No Surprises in Early Results For Iraqi Provincial Elections The results of the latest round of provincial elections in Iraq have failed to defy expectations, with the same political problems persisting, writes Mushreq Abbas. Iraq
Gaza's Beekeepers in Sticky Spot As spring begins, Gaza's beekeepers face a decline in production due to urban sprawl and a lack of official interest, reports Hazem Balousha. Palestine
Syria’s Christians ThreatenedBy Ideology, Geography Attacks against Syria’s Christians are not only motivated by extremist Islamic ideology, but also because of the strategic area in which they live, writes Jean Aziz. Lebanon
Iran Cracks Down on Activists, Labor Unions Despite Iran's struggling economy, the government and business owners are colluding to restrict the rights of workers to organize, writes an Al-Monitor correspondent from Tehran. Iran
Egypt Struggles to Reclaim Role In Africa As tensions heat up between Egypt and Ethiopia regarding a major Ethiopian dam on the Nile, Egypt is seeking to reassert itself, writes Abdelrahman Youssef. Egypt
Child-Protection Laws On Table in Iraqi Kurdistan An innovative law protecting the rights of children and the disabled in Iraqi Kurdistan is to be considered by the regional government, reports Abdel Hamid Zebari. Iraq
The Unpredictable Succession Plan Of Saudi Arabia The constant reshuffling of princes among key Saudi ministries demonstrates the lack of a clear plan of succession to the Saudi throne, Madawi Al-Rasheed writes. Saudi Arabia
