Five Reasons the US Should Stay Out Of Syria The first order of business should be a negotiated cease-fire and a transition in Syria that recognizes the role of Iran and other regional parties, not arming the rebels or launching military attacks, writes Seyed Hossein Mousavian. Syria
Nasrallah Threatens Golan Front With Israel Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has announced that the next phase of the Syria war will not be limited to Syria, but will include Lebanon and Israel as well, reports Ali Hashem. Israel
Turkey’s ‘Peace Process’ Is Just Starting The politics of the Turkish-Kurdish peace initiative are just beginning to play out for Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Iraq
Turkey on a Tightrope Between Hamas And Fatah Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s planned visit to Gaza has the potential to complicate both Hamas-Fatah reconciliation and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, writes Semih Idiz. Palestine
Are PKK Fighters Moving to Syria? Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu claims Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters are withdrawing from Turkey toward Syria to fight against the Assad regime, writes Tulin Daloglu. Syria
Algerian Law Allows Terrorists To Repent, Rejoin Society Algeria’s Civil Concord Law, which seeks to reintegrate reformed terrorists into society, continues to be a topic of controversy 14 years after its ratification, writes Kaci Racelma. Culture & Society
Nasrallah Increases Stakes in Syria War Famous for his use of allusions and nuance, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah spoke with an unusual clarity and directness on May 9 about Syria, writes Scarlett Haddad. Israel
PKK's Withdrawal From Turkey Shows Peace Process On Track Murat Karayilan, a leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), is taking the peace file with Turkey from imprisoned Abdullah Ocalan, signaling normalization of the process, writes Kadri Gursel. Iraq
Will Syria Retaliate For Israeli Airstrikes? If Syria is going to retaliate for Israeli's recent strikes, it is unlikely to do so soon, alone or in a manner that would lead to a comprehensive war, observes Haytham Mouzahem in an examination of official statements. Israel
Gaza Salafists Accuse Hamas Of Harassment, Torture Salafist prisoners in Gaza have reportedly begun a hunger strike in protest against their detention and continued harassment by Hamas authorities, Mohammed Suliman reports. Palestine
Netanyahu's Chinese Wall On an official visit to Beijing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to convince China that a nuclear Iran threatens the stability of not only the Middle East, but also the global energy market, writes Ben Caspit. Israel
The Airstrikes in Syria: Winners and Losers A week has passed since the airstrikes in Syria, making it a good time to take stock of the situation from Israeli, Syrian, Hezbollah and Iranian perspectives, writes Yoav Limor. Israel
Hezbollah's Russian Connection Jean Aziz asks whether Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah has reassured his base following two televised speeches in nine days. Lebanon
US Arms Sales All About Iran The novelty of the latest US arms sales to Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates was not their scale or content, but the sign of a US realignment of allies to deter Iran, explains Jean-Loup Samaan. Saudi Arabia
Report Calls for New EU ApproachTo Israel, Peace Process A new European report urges the EU to toughen its stance on Israel and push it toward a two-state solution, reports Daoud Kuttab. Palestine
Egypt’s Christians Hope for a Better Future Egypt’s Coptic community was relieved that Easter passed this month without incident, although many worry about trends under the Muslim Brotherhood, writes Zenobia Azeem. Egypt
