Sistani Issues Fatwa Against Sectarian Violence in Iraq Amid rising sectarian rhetoric and violence in Iraq, Iraqi Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has issued a fatwa condemning anti-Sunni violence. Iraq
Lapid Draws Own Red Line on Iran Israel’s finance minister has said Iran should have no centrifuges and no plutonium at all. Palestine
'Décolletage' Reveals Secular-Islamist Divide in Turkey The cleavage debate in Turkey has overwhelmed Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s democratization reform package. Turkey
Lebanon Stability Depends On Iran-Saudi Entente The warming trends in US-Russia and US-Iran ties may or may not benefit Lebanon, unless Iran and Saudi Arabia end their sectarian regional policies. Saudi Arabia
Talabani's Party Stung by Loss In Iraqi Kurdistan Elections The upcoming meeting of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in January 2014 may be an opportunity to elect new leadership. Iraq
In Iraq, Honor Crimes Spread to Cities Once common only in rural areas, the practice of murdering women and other Iraqis for what some perceive as immoral acts has made its way into the country’s urban centers. Iraq
Middle East Water Initiative Based on Rhine River Model The "Blue Peace in the Middle East" initiative seeks to examine how the multinational cooperation around the Rhine River might inform similar water agreements in the Middle East. Pan Arab
Netanyahu's Lost Battles Against West on Nuclear Iran The fate of Iran’s nuclear project will be sealed over the next few months, thus any agreement between the West and Iran that allows it to remain a “nuclear threshold state” will force Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to act. Israel
Will New Knesset Session Bring Changes in Netanyahu's Coalition? The Labor Party primaries and the confusion within the Shas Party are just some of the political opportunities presenting themselves to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming Knesset winter session. Israel
Palestinians to Continue Boycott Of Jerusalem Elections The PLO has renewed its call on Palestinians in Jerusalem to boycott municipal elections, but has the boycott only made life for Palestinians in the city worse? Palestine
Rise of Islamists Threatens Christian, Human Rights The rise of Islamists in the Middle East has increased the oppression of minorities in the region, but the issue could be resolved by protecting the human aspect of citizens. Lebanon
US 'Muddled' Approach to Egyptian Aid Needs Reassessment The freeze on aid shows the United States is missing the message on Egypt. Egypt
Lapid Calls for 'Endgame' In Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Israel's finance minister has told a Washington audience that Israelis and Palestinians should unite against "the media, cynicism and people who say 'no,'" but keep to a hard line on Iran. Palestine
My Conversation With Hamas Gershon Baskin, founder of the Israeli Palestinian Center for Research and Information, recounts his conversation with Ghazi Hamad, Hamas' deputy foreign minister. Palestine
TV Presenter in Turkey Loses Job Over Cleavage After AKP spokesman Huseyin Celik objected to TV presenter Gozde Kansu’s décolleté dress, her contract was suspended, raising eyebrows over Turkey's human rights record. Turkey
The Inevitable Rise Of Al-Qaeda in Libya The abduction and release of Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan by an armed group reveals that terrorists have been empowered since the US-backed Feb. 17 revolution, which overthrew Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Originals
