Why Palestine's 'Merry Christmas people' are not so merry A Palestinian official caused an uproar when he described Palestinian Christians as the “Merry Christmas people.” By Daoud Kuttab In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics
How Kurdish-Arab strife is hindering work of Syria's 'White Helmets' The negotiations for a new office of the Syrian Civil Defense in areas liberated by the Islamic State in Syria have been interrupted by major skirmishes between the Arab and Kurdish forces in these areas. By Shelly Kittleson
Hamas hampering persistent press The Foreign Press Association accused Hamas of imposing restrictions on foreign journalists entering the Gaza Strip, which the government denied. By Mohammed Othman
Has Netanyahu met his match? A recent poll showing Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid to be the strongest party in Israel is the talk of Israeli politics. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Tel Aviv taxi passengers treated to Hebrew masterpieces — in Arabic Israeli taxi driver Moshe Choresh and his wife, Sandra, are gaining fame for their personal project to translate Israeli musical masterpieces into Arabic, which they record and play for Moshe's clients during their rides. By Shlomi Eldar
Egyptian speaker accuses MPs of 'terrorizing' parliament A standoff erupted between House Speaker Ali Abdul Aal and members of the 25-30 bloc after bloc members objected to the value added tax law, saying it would "increase the burden on Egyptian citizens." By George Mikhail
Turkey reaches critical crossroads in Syria Turkey has an important decision to make now that it has helped Free Syrian Army troops win a major battle for border control in northern Syria. By Metin Gurcan
Is Abdullah Ocalan key to peace between Turkey, PKK? Many Kurds believe Abdullah Ocalan holds the key to peace between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers Party, but does he retain the power to deliver? By Amberin Zaman In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
How US cash payments story played out in Iran While Washington’s $1.7 billion payment to Iran caused controversy in the US, it was a non-story in Iran. By Arash Karami
Why are Iranian web trolls targeting Malia Obama? In Iran, prominent actors and sportsmen urge netizens to join a campaign to block trolls as online hate appears to increasingly spiral out of control. By Saeid Jafari
Will Israeli-Palestinian conflict escalate in December? Both Israel and the Palestinians are using the period of international deadlock at the end of 2016 to consolidate their support bases instead of advancing dialogue initiatives. By Uri Savir
Will Israelis living overseas gain right to vote? Israeli politicians from across the political map are advancing a law to allow Israeli expatriates, not just diplomats, to vote in absentia in Israel's elections. By Akiva Eldar
Does Iranian law green light encounters with US warships? The legal arguments underpinning US and Iranian views on the Law of the Sea should not be overlooked as tensions once again mount over the passage of US military vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. By Ali Omidi
Culinary training program cooks up job training for Gaza To meet the growing needs of Gaza's flourishing restaurant industry, one woman has created a first-of-its-kind project to teach the culinary arts in partnership with the Smile Training and Development Center. By Rasha Abou Jalal In Gaza City, reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Why it's crunch time for Israeli left The Israeli left is at its lowest point in its history and must reinvent itself to survive. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Will Sisi run for second term? Considering economic setbacks and heightened political oppression under Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's watch, some are questioning his chances of success if he runs for a second term. By Sarah El Shalakany