Bibi uses Gaza as wedge between Abbas, Hamas Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will accept Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' entry into Gaza, but only if the unity government is dissolved. By Akiva Eldar
Don't expect peshmerga to beat Islamic State The Islamic State is a well-organized and mobile fighting force, while Iraqi Kurdish forces are not the battle-hardened veterans some have made them out to be. By Metin Gurcan
Turkey struggles to benefit from study abroad The rise in the number of international students in Turkey has not yet translated into higher government revenues or cultural diversity. By Pinar Tremblay
Shas Party spirals downward with Deri at helm Almost one year into the term of Aryeh Deri, it looks as if there is no way to stop the party’s gradual disintegration. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Israel's land grab endangers Abbas' peace plan Israel’s largest land grab in 30 years on the heels of the Gaza war threatens to head off Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ presentation of a new peace plan. By Daoud Kuttab In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics