Israeli Labor chief’s anti-Arab strategy Comments of Israeli Labor chair Avi Gabbay against Israeli Arab Labor Knesset member Zouheir Bahloul reflects Gabbay’s strategy of abandoning left-wing values to seek right-wing votes. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Egypt’s pardoned prisoners still shackled The Detained Youth Committee for Presidential Pardon has launched an initiative to examine reintegrating and rehabilitating pardoned prisoners to address the difficulties they face after their release. By Amr Eltohamy
Can this marathon help Palestinian cause? Several years into its launch, the Palestine Marathon in Bethlehem received recognition from the International Association of Athletics Federations in yet another sporting achievement that conveys to the world that Palestine is capable of organizing such events despite the occupation obstacles. By Aziza Nofal
Traditional meets modern in Israel's ultra-Orthodox art A new art gallery in the heart of an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Jerusalem reflects the sector's changing attitude toward art. By Mordechai Goldman
Libya's rogue militias cut capital’s water supply A group of armed men cut off water supplies to the Libyan capital Tripoli, which indicates the fragility of resources in a country plagued by chaos. By Mustafa Fetouri
Palestinian youth find outlet in new skate park A British charity helped build a skate park in the West Bank village of Jayyous, where Palestinian boys and girls can find an escape from their situation through skateboarding. By Tessa Fox
Sanaa’s green spaces ravaged by war Yemen has lost a lot of its trees, shrubs and flowers since the beginning of the war in 2015, in what could make matters worse for Yemenis haunted by the specter of starvation. By Mohammed Yahya Gahlan
Hamas chief is still talk of the town in Gaza 9 months after election Since his election, new Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has made major decisions that may scare some of the movement. By Adnan Abu Amer
US optimistic about Mideast peace deal The US administration will soon publish guidelines for restarting Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. By Uri Savir
House leaders neuter anti-war Yemen bill House leadership has watered down a resolution addressing US support for the Saudi-led campaign against the Houthis. By Bryant Harris In Washington, reporting on Congress
Russian summit on Syria raises controversy, doubt The Syrian opposition suspects Russia’s upcoming congress is a ploy to bolster the regime and dilute the United Nations’ influence. By Anton Mardasov
Have Israelis forgotten that Rabin was killed over politics? After years of sidelining the fact that Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's assassination was politically motivated, his son Yuval Rabin stands up and denounces the political incitement that led to the murder. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Purge of Turkish mayors could hit opposition strongholds Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says legal action could be taken against more mayors if their political parties do not "solve problems themselves." By Ayla Jean Yackley
Egyptians highlight human rights abuses as government campaign backfires After the Egyptian government encouraged World Youth Forum participants to engage with one another ahead of the conference using the hashtag #WeNeedToTalk, many citizens took the opportunity to call out alleged human rights abuses. By Shahira Amin
Iranian negotiator says US bad intentions not limited to Trump The Iranian deputy foreign minister spoke to Iran’s parliament about both the benefits and challenges of the nuclear deal. By Al-Monitor Staff
Zoroastrian takes center stage on Iran’s political scene The suspension of an elected Zoroastrian city council member in central Iran stirs heated debate. By Saeid Jafari