Archives for February, 2016

Iranian made Peugeot 206 cars are seen on a production line of carmaker Iran Khodro, west of Tehran June 20, 2011. Unusually for the Middle East, Iran has developed its domestic car industry for five decades and produced 1.6 million vehicles last year, about half of them made by Iran Khodro which aims to export around 10 percent of its production this year. Even with sanctions, which have scared off some suppliers from exporting to Iran, and a limp economy, Iran Khodro says sales rose 18 percent in 2010 and

Will French carmakers rev up Iran’s auto industry?

The Rouhani administration focuses on forging partnerships with international carmakers to boost Iran’s embattled automotive sector.

Rouhani calls for more Iranian women to 'lean in' to politics

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani encourages women to become more involved in politics and culture.

How Turkey's foreign policy may have lost it $25 billion in trade with Iran

A preferential trade agreement between Turkey and Iran has failed to stop the decline in bilateral trade as regional political disputes between the two neighbors deepen.

Israeli-Arab candidate who is member of a Joint List of Arab parties Ahmad Tibi (L) delivers a speech next to Israeli Arab political leader and leader of the joint list of Arab parties, Ayman Odeh, at the party's headquarters in the city of Nazareth on March 17, 2015 as they react to exit poll figures. The Joint List grouping Israel's main Arab parties took third place in Tuesday's general election, winning 13 seats, exit polls showed. AFP PHOTO / AHMAD GHARABLI (Photo credit should read AHMAD GHARAB

Israeli Arabs take their message to the White House

Arab Knesset member Ahmad Tibi (Joint List) tells Al-Monitor that Obama administration officials he met with in Washington are concerned about discrimination against Israeli Arabs.

Israeli policemen stand guard at the scene of a stabbing attack in Jerusalem October 30, 2015. Knife-wielding Palestinians attacked Israelis in Jerusalem and the Israeli-occupied West Bank and one of assailants was shot dead, police said. Five people, including two suspected Palestinian assailants, were wounded in the incidents at an Israeli paramilitary police checkpoint outside the West Bank city of Nablus and a light rail station in East Jerusalem, ambulance officials said. REUTERS/Ammar Awad - RTX1TYCM

Were these Knesset members wrong to meet with the families of attackers?

Joint List Knesset members are shouting over the din to explain that their controversial visit to families of attackers was to discuss releasing the bodies of their sons and not a demonstration of solidarity.

Iraq's new Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi attends the Parliament session to submit his government in Baghdad September 8, 2014. Iraq's parliament approved a new government headed by Haider al-Abadi as prime minister on Monday night, in a bid to rescue Iraq from collapse, with sectarianism and Arab-Kurdish tensions on the rise. REUTERS/Hadi Mizban/Pool (IRAQ - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR45G2T

Party squabbles have Iraqi PM by the coattails

A Cabinet shuffle by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is unlikely to assuage protesters demanding substantive government reform and the removal of corrupt officials.

How to overcome Iraq’s economic crisis

Iraq's economic recovery requires strong institutions and infrastructure, but with no time to wait for stability, the state should provide financial support and administrative facilities to help small businesses grow now.

How Palestine plans to shift its media strategy

In an interview with Al-Monitor, the newly appointed director of strategic communications in the Palestinian prime minister’s office, Jamal Dajani, promises to prioritize the Palestinian constituency and be accessible to the press.

Why the fall of this Syrian city raises red flags in Jordan

The fall of Sheikh Miskin near the Jordanian border has sounded alarms in the kingdom, which is working to beef up security on the border and bracing for a new wave of refugees.

Is this the end of Turkish miracle?

Turkey’s economic success story of the past decade has dramatically changed, becoming instead a tale of caution.

Undeterred by closures, Hamas still boasts of tunnel advantage

Despite setbacks, Hamas has been digging more tunnels and continues to flaunt them as a strategic weapon against Israel in propaganda videos.

The death of the Arab Israeli dream

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Knesset member Issawi Frej of Meretz accused the government of creating an atmosphere permitting the targeting and persecution of Arabs and for ignoring the problem of violence in Arab Israeli communities.

Is Russia helping the US win in Syria?

Russian air power and Syrian forces are pounding terrorists and their allies, while taking a terrible toll on civilians; keep Turkey out of Syria.

Congress gets first-hand account of war against IS

A look at the Middle East issues Congress will be addressing the week of Feb. 8.

How one Syrian music star is making a comeback

Tariq Dargham al-Swaydan was a well-known musician from Syria's Daraa region when conflict erupted in 2011; now he's trying to carry on with his work while living in Egypt.

United States Secretary of State John Kerry delivers his remarks with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos (not pictured) at a joint news conference at the State Department in Washington February 5, 2016. REUTERS/Gary Cameron - RTX25NPS

Diplomats focus on humanitarian aid first, Syria peace talks second

After Syria peace talks in Geneva suspended, diplomats look to world powers to agree on aid access and humanitarian deliverables at a meeting of the International Syria Support Group in Munich on Feb. 11 to try to revive a diplomatic process.