Lifestyles of Israel's rich and rabbinical The revelations on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's tax haven account are overshadowed by a bribe scandal involving top police officers, Rabbi Pinto and an American politician. Israel
Burns to Al-Monitor: 'No illusions' about nuclear diplomacy with Iran In an exclusive interview, Deputy Secretary of State William Burns discusses leading the US back channel to Iran, the upcoming Geneva II conference on Syria, the role of secret diplomacy and 32 years in the US foreign service. Saudi Arabia
Battle for Nazareth mayor a loser for Christian-Muslim relations Ever since local elections in Nazareth three months ago, a fierce legal battle has been taking place between the Muslim candidate and his friend, the incumbent Christian mayor, over the latter's seat. Israel
Youth remain low priority for Hamas The Hamas government in Gaza has failed to take serious steps to address problems facing the youth. Palestine
Syrian Kurds aim to benefit from Islamist infighting Syrian Kurdish forces navigate the fighting between the Free Syrian Army and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham to gain ground in northern Syria. Syria
Istanbul's skyline betrayed A generation that professes to worship the Ottomans betrayed Istanbul by destroying its silhouette with high-rises. Turkey
Egypt threatens Hamas rule Hamas has managed to survive and even become stronger while facing years of economic pressure from Israel, but now it must cope with Cairo's ambitions to topple it. Palestine
Israel's media at war Israeli media scholars Tamar Liebes and Zohar Kampf point to a dramatic change in the coverage of conflicts in the West: from focusing on politicians and generals to coverage of human stories of enemies and victims. Palestine
Zarif trip to Lebanon includes signal to Saudi Arabia Iran and Hezbollah's abrupt change toward the formation of a Lebanese government might be part of a regional settlement. Saudi Arabia
Ya'alon jab spurs White House support for Kerry peace effort An off-the-record comment by Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon rallied a statement of support from the White House for US Secretary of State John Kerry's peace efforts. Palestine
Turkey's Christians fear possible hate campaign An aggressive campaign against Christmas and New Year’s festivities in Turkey last month, including the circumcision of Santa Claus, has sparked fears that deadly attacks on Christians may begin anew. Turkey
Turkey remains blind to foreign policy criticisms Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu fails to critique his policies at the sixth annual Ambassadors Conference. Syria
Egyptians fear return of surveillance state The release of recordings of telephone conversations among Egyptian activists has sparked a new debate over media freedom and privacy. Egypt
Gul calls for reset of Turkey’s Syria policy Turkish President Abdullah Gul's call for a "recalibration" of the Syria policy is a thinly veiled rebuke to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Turkey
Chechnya's silent diplomacy in the Middle East Russia is working to turn domestic challenges into opportunity. Turkey
Israeli deputy minister: Kerry's proposals 'move us further apart' In an interview with Al-Monitor, Ofir Akunis says he agrees with Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon about US Secretary of State John Kerry's approach to the peace process, but would have said it differently. Palestine
