Turkish Pilots Abducted At Gunpoint in Beirut Two Turkish Airlines pilots were kidnapped in Beirut early Friday, Aug. 9, to put pressure on the Turkish government to help release nine Shiite Lebanese hostages in Syria since May 2012. By Tulin Daloglu
Israel Prepares for Next War With Hezbollah The Israel Defense Forces is watching with concern as Hezbollah improves its military capabilities in Syria. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Israel’s Labor Party Splits Again Knesset member Eitan Cabel says Labor Party leader Shelly Yachimovich must go. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Erdogan Looks West Given Ankara’s misadventures in the Middle East, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s best option to fulfill his vision of a democratic Turkey is to pivot to the West. By Semih Idiz
Mayor of Upper Nazareth on Mission To Rid City of Arabs Embattled Upper Nazareth Mayor Shimon Gapso is running his campaign for reelection on expelling the city's Arab residents. By Shlomi Eldar
Is Normalization Possible Before Israel Ends the Occupation? The resumption of peace talks has again raised the question of whether a people-to-people track should be pursued to boost the chances of peace. By Daoud Kuttab In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics
Egypt, Sisi Straddle Past, Present and Future The legacy of former Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser hangs over the fate of Egypt and Defense Minister Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. By Geoffrey Aronson
Burden on Brotherhood To End Egypt’s Crisis For the Muslim Brotherhood to be brought into the political process, it must first accept the basic principles of Egyptian nationhood, sovereignty and identity. By Wael Nawara
Control, Halt, Delete: Gulf States Crack Down on Online Critics The Gulf states’ heavy-handed response to online criticism was entirely predictable and shows no signs of abating. By Nicholas McGeehan
Controversial Turkish Surgeon Odd Man Out in Ergenekon Trial A famous surgeon’s unexpected release in the Ergenekon trial deepens Turkey’s political fault lines. By Yasemin Çongar
Erdogan Prepares to Face Post-Ramadan Challenges Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be walking on eggshells after Ramadan to balance the popular reaction to the Ergenekon verdicts and Kurdish demands to advance the negotiation process. By Tulin Daloglu
Lebanon-Israel Border Incident Tests UNIFIL-Hezbollah Ties Following the Israeli military’s violation of the UN Blue Line this week, the reactions of both UNIFIL and Hezbollah may provide a litmus test for their relationship. By A correspondent in Beirut
Israelis Divided on African Immigrants The African immigrant community sparks bitter disputes within Israeli society between those who sympathize with their hardships and those who advocate their deportation. By Daniel Ben Simon
Gaza Celebrates Eid al-Fitr Amid Economic Crisis Gazans still find a way to celebrate the Islamic festival despite the economic hardship caused by the Israeli and Egyptian blockade. By Asmaa al-Ghoul
Middle East Needs 'Win-Win' Approach to Regional Security An approach is overdue for regional security that recognizes the interests of Iran, Israel and all the states of West Asia. By Sam Sasan Shoamanesh
Is There Role for NATO In Israel-Palestine Peace Process? Many “ifs” remain about a NATO role in a final Israeli-Palestinian settlement, if there is one, but the option may be there. By Jean-Loup Samaan