Iraq’s intervention may change the equation in Syria's Kurdish regions The closure of the Fish Khabur and Rabia border crossings between Iraq and Syria may jeopardize the Kurdish federal project in northern Syria. By Fehim Tastekin In Paris, reporting on Turkish politics
Settler delusions of security Israeli settlers are pressuring the government for more investment in security, but no matter how generous the ultimate outlay, it will not prevent the next wave of casualties from terrorism as long as the occupation status quo persists. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
The road to rebuilding Raqqa The city of Raqqa, newly liberated from the Islamic State by the Kurdish-led and US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces, will now face the challenges of reconstruction and uprooting the jihadi threat once and for all. By Mona Alami
Netanyahu unfaithful to Zionism vision By turning its back on Israeli Arabs and distancing Reform and Conservative Jewish communities, the Netanyahu government denies the fundamentals of Zionism. By Akiva Eldar
Egyptian judges forced into military re-education classes In a lecture series reminiscent of Gamal Abdel Nasser's socialist indoctrination program, the Egyptian government is forcing judges and other members of the judiciary to undergo training in "strategic and national security studies." By Ahmed Youness
Israel holding Gaza militants' bodies as bargaining chips Israel decided not to return the bodies of Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas members until some progress is made on returning the Israeli civilians and the bodies of IDF soldiers held by Hamas. By Shlomi Eldar
US sticks by Lebanese army despite Hariri resignation State Department and Defense Department officials tell Al-Monitor that US military assistance is unaffected by Beirut’s latest political crisis. By Jack Detsch
IRGC commander denies Trump claim on Saudi missile attack IRGC commander Mohammad Ali Jafari denied that Iran was involved in the Yemeni missile attack on Riyadh. By Al-Monitor Staff
One year into crackdown, Turkey’s pro-Kurdish opposition battered but defiant Nine members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party remain in prison a full year after the detentions on terrorism-related charges began, and joint leader Selahattin Demirtas’ first day in court is scheduled for Dec. 7. By Ayla Jean Yackley
Photography, opera come together in Tel Aviv A new exhibition invites seven leading Israeli photographers to interpret the Israeli Opera 2017-2018 season through their own perspectives. By Debra Kamin
Iraq-Turkey border confusion: Who's in charge here? The sight of Turkish soldiers at the Habur border crossing with Iraq for the first time in 26 years raised many questions and a lot of conflicting answers. By Mahmut Bozarslan
Kurdish rift emerges between Erdogan, Putin A fundamental disagreement over the role of Syria’s Kurds threatens to wreck Turkey’s partnership with Russia, atop already simmering tensions with the United States. By Zulfikar Dogan
Lebanese artists voice social concerns Yasmine Hamdan, who, along with Mashrou' Leila, is known abroad as one of the most polıticized singers of Lebanon, says her music forms an archive of the changes and challenges that confront her country. By Florence Massena (Lebanon Pulse)
Israeli police turn up heat on Netanyahu The detention of Yitzhak Molcho, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s personal envoy and closest associate, sends shock waves through Israel’s security and political arenas. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Egyptian proposal to protect formal Arabic has journalists worried Critics say a draft law intended to preserve traditional, formal Arabic and discourage the use of the modern Egyptian dialect threatens the freedom of the press. By Nesma Farag
Egypt takes action to investigate notorious prison The Egyptian government has promised to investigate the conditions at the Tora Maximum Security Prison following complaints by prisoners’ families and nongovernmental organizations. By Menna A. Farouk