Displacement of Copts raises persecution fears in Egypt The forced displacement of five Christian families from the Beni Suef governorate in Egypt brought back the debate of the struggle between Muslims and Copts in Egypt. Egypt
How Morocco plans to contain its Salafists Several prominent Salafists in Morocco have surprised the nation by joining mainstream political parties. Syria
Oren's memoir drama hurts Israel At this highly sensitive diplomatic period, when Israel needs US support in the international arena, former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren saw fit to promote his new book by lashing out at President Barack Obama. Israel
Will PKK let Kurdish politics move away from violence? With the success of the pro-Kurdish HDP in the recent elections, the time has come for Turkey's Kurds to rethink civilian-military relations in Kurdish politics. Turkey
Opposition battles collection of medical records in Turkey Turkey's Ministry of Health has embarked on a controversial effort to collect the names, addresses and diagnoses of psychiatric patients. Turkey
Is State Department skirting US law on sanctions? The US government watchdog says the State Department is three years late on its reporting to Congress. Iran
IDF to unify cyber warfare units The Israeli army has decided to unite its cyber units into one branch, responsible for cyber intelligence gathering, cyber defense and cyber attacks. Israel
El Al's high heel directive kicks up storm El Al Israel Airlines' new policy requiring female flight attendants to wear high heels until all passengers have boarded has generated a wave of protest, mobilizing leading public and political figures. Israel
Iranians unite in burial of 270 Iran-Iraq War veterans The burial of Iranian veterans, 175 of them buried alive, has stirred painful memories and united Iranians. Iran
Saudis' war effort struggles on three fronts The two contenders to the Saudi throne need signs of impending victory in their battles against the Houthis to secure their legitimacy to lead. Gulf
Captured fighter details Islamic State's Turkey connection A Turkish citizen who joined the Islamic State in September and was captured in early June by Syrian Kurds explained IS' induction process with chilling clarity in a video shared exclusively with Al-Monitor. Syria
Prospects for Egyptian-Jordanian cooperation remain hazy Since the ouster of Mohammed Morsi, economic ties have strengthened. Egypt
Turkey's rule of law on slippery slope The World Justice Project’s 2015 Rule of Law Index reveals striking evidence of rising authoritarianism in Turkey. Turkey
Gaza doctors find jobs in German clinics Amid the worsening living conditions and employment opportunities, doctors in the Gaza Strip take German classes to apply for jobs in Germany, which provides many incentives for medical practitioners. Palestine
Egypt 'tourism rebound' slow to reach South Sinai Egypt’s tourism sector has been slowly growing as people do not differentiate between South Sinai and North Sinai, where the fighting is ongoing between the Egyptian army and the Islamic State. Egypt
From Omar to Hussain: Why Iraqis are changing their names Intensification of Iraq's sectarian divide is forcing increasing numbers of people to change their names to avoid harassment and death. Iraq
