Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul sues for fraud The defrauding of the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul reflects how vulnerable minorities are in Turkey. Turkey
Turkish truckers try to get on the road again With the dangers and difficulties now inherent in transiting in Iraq and Syria, the Turkish transportation sector is looking for alternative routes to Middle Eastern markets. Gulf
Egypt’s poor bear the brunt of Sisi’s austerity plan A reduction in state subsidies has caused fuel, bread and other prices to rise dramatically in Egypt, stoking anger from consumers, taxi drivers and shop owners. Egypt
Iranian Kurdish town embraces citizen activism Marivan, a small Kurdish town in western Iran, has earned a reputation for citizen activism. Iran
Iran bans vasectomies in hopes of boosting birthrate A newly passed Iranian law outlawing vasectomy and sterilization could be a return to punitive policies aimed at encouraging population growth. Iran
Israel misreads Hamas and Palestinians' will to attack Despite Israeli assessments to the contrary, Hamas proved quite willing to step up rocket attacks, and the Palestinian street was more than ready for riot and revolt. Palestine
Minister Shamir criticizes Netanyahu inaction on Gaza In an interview with Al-Monitor, Agriculture Minister Yair Shamir criticizes the government’s inactivity on Gaza whether militarily or diplomatically: “Hours and hours of Cabinet meetings without decisions, while the rockets from Gaza keep coming.” Palestine
What should West expect from Erdogan as president? The United States and others in the West are speculating about what Turkish foreign policy might look like under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose nomination speech left no doubt about his strong Islamic inclinations. Turkey
Iraq events cause Hezbollah to go on full alert The fall of western Iraq to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) has cut the contiguous bridge from Iran to Lebanon, and Hezbollah fears that ISIS may try to sneak through to Lebanon. Iraq
Iraqi deputy prime minister: 'I was mistaken' in joining government In an interview with Al-Monitor, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq speaks about the roots of the crisis in Iraq and stresses the need for a political solution. Iraq
Will Palestinian unity fall victim to crisis over murders? Al-Monitor’s Israel and Palestine Pulses cover the escalating crisis over the murder of three Israeli youths and a Palestinian teenager. Palestine
Congress will weigh in on murder of Israeli youths A look at the Middle East issues Congress will be addressing the week of July 7. Palestine
Copies and creations: Iran's Ramadan entertainment Jamming satellite stations and competing with Turkish and Arab shows, Iranian TV producers prepare for Ramadan, even copying the popular American television show "Modern Famliy." Iran
Opposition makes hopeless objection to Erdogan's candidacy Turkey’s opposition is protesting Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s campaigning for the presidency without resignin from his current privileged position. Turkey
Russia banks on Syrian unity As Moscow grapples with the changes in the region, it continues to support an inclusive peace process in Syria. Iraq
Was Israeli public misled on abductions? A full recording of one of the murdered youth's emergency call to Israeli police has led to speculation that Israeli government leaders believed the students were murdered soon after their kidnapping. Palestine
