Can June 30 End Well for Egypt? Expected mass protests on June 30 could lead to a variety of scenarios for Egypt. Egypt
Palestinian Stock ExchangeHas Potential to Grow Despite worsening economic conditions due to the political climate, there are several positive indicators for the Palestinian Stock Exchange. Palestine
Lebanon's Assir Gone, But Problems Remain While the Lebanese army has successfully booted Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir from the city of Sidon, the popular divide that allowed for his movement's growth persists. Lebanon
Syrians Add to Yemen Refugee Crisis As with a previous wave of refugees that fled from Syria to Yemen during former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad's reign in the 1980s, Syrian refugees arriving there today find political, economic and security instability. Yemen
Egypt on Precipice? Moving Beyond Crisis Egypt faces the precipice on the eve of the June 30 protests. Egypt
Erdogan's Carrot-and-Stick Approach To Protests a Loser Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan should seek inclusive policies, not engage in witch hunts. Turkey
Turkey’s Opposition Faces Leadership Crisis After Protests The winds of hope raised by Kemal Dervis’ entry into politics in 2002 and those raised by the Gezi Park protesters looked alike from the surface, and they may share the same fate in the end. Turkey
Turkish Protests Provide Electroshock to EU Ties The Gezi Park protest brought Turkey-EU ties to the brink of collapse, but at the same time had the impact of “electroshock therapy” on Turkey’s stalled accession process. Turkey
No Secret Deal Behind Assir’s Escape Although many think that a secret escape deal was struck between Ahmad al-Assir and the Lebanese army, logic suggests that this is not the case. Lebanon
Iraqi Kurdish Opposition Challenges Draft Constitution With elections slated to take place in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region this fall, opposing political figures have begun to exchange accusations. Iraq
Iraqi First Deputy Speaker, From Sadr Bloc, Resigns Amid Queries The unexpected resignation of Iraqi parliamentary first deputy speaker Qusay al-Suhail has raised questions on all sides of the Iraqi political spectrum. Iraq
Bedouin Fight Israeli Relocation Bill The Israeli parliament has ratified a bill for the relocation of Bedouin from “unrecognized” settlements to permanent villages, despite objections by the Bedouin community. Israel
Syrian Government Deals With Currency Collapse The Syrian government has increased public sector employees' salaries and has kept its monthly ration coupons to counter the effects of war and sanctions on the economy. Syria
Foreign Journalists Called Conspirators in Turkish Protests Journalists working for foreign news agencies in Turkey are accused of being global conspirators to foment mass protests in accusations sometimes laced with anti-Semitism. Turkey
Israel, Arab Neighbors Hinder Palestinian Movement Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Hamas-run Gaza are all restricting the entry and exit of Palestinians from their territories. Palestine
Kerry Approaches Dead End Over Israel's Settlements US Secretary of State John Kerry risks becoming wallpaper — familiar, unobtrusive and ineffective — in a peace process that is going nowhere. Palestine
