Israeli legislators strip Arabic of official language status The Nationality Law, adopted this week, strips Arabic of its status as Israel’s second official language. Israel
Netanyahu’s Israel will know no peace Instead of acknowledging and adressing the miseries of the Palestinians, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finds it beneficial to prolong the conflict on the Gaza border. Palestine
Sanctions threaten Iran's dream of becoming Eurasian transport hub Lack of financing and the potential collapse of the nuclear deal threaten Iranian plans to complete the infrastructure necessary for the International North-South Transport Corridor. Regional
Soaring unemployment pushes Gaza’s tech sector forward Ever-rising unemployment in the Gaza Strip has pushed young Palestinians to explore the technological sector, which largely sidesteps the Israeli siege by conducting business online. Palestine
Turkey’s one-man regime denied confidence vote by markets The downturn in the Turkish economy looms as a major challenge for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as economic actors show little confidence in his new and sweeping powers and his selection of his son-in-law to manage the economy. Turkey
Tehran court lifts curtain on widespread corruption at bankrupted lender An Iranian court has shed further light on the extent of fraud at a bankrupt credit and financial institution, with former officials and local celebrities now dragged in. Iran
Erdogan wants more from Trump before Turkey will free pastor Though the US president's friendliness toward Turkey's president in Brussels raised hopes for the release of an American pastor charged with espionage, a Turkish court denied an appeal to free Andrew Brunson today. Turkey
Meet the new generation of Iranian hard-liners A young generation of hard-liners is beginning to challenge the old guard, taking tougher positions on political issues while being more open on cultural affairs. Russia
Abadi, Maliki seek alliance with Iraq's Kurds Nearly two months since Iraq's parliamentary election, the winning parties are still discussing an alliance to form the new government. Iraq
$42 million initiative launched to help small-scale Palestinian farmers Small farmers in the West Bank will soon benefit from a new agricultural project that aims at boosting economic growth. Palestine
Local book fairs catch summer readers on Egypt’s coasts The organizers of Egypt's Cairo International Book Fair, the largest event in the Arab literary world since 1969, are branching out with smaller coastal book fairs this summer. Egypt
The path to Washington passes through Jerusalem Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has morphed from persona non grata at the White House into the leader with the most influence over the US president. Israel
Does Israel really need to be in a state of emergency? State of emergency regulations established by the interim Israeli government in 1948 are still in place 70 years later. Israel
Congress calls on Trump to recognize Israeli sovereignty over Golan After President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, congressional Republicans are rallying around the Netanyahu government’s next big ask. Palestine
Hopes soar for US pastor's release as Trump fist-bumps Erdogan The odds look better than ever that American pastor Andrew Brunson will finally be freed from a Turkish prison after President Donald Trump made friendly gestures toward President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Brussels, but there are no guarantees that Brunson will walk free. Turkey
Drought, inefficiency lead to major power shortage in Iran Blackouts return to Iran’s electricity grid in the face of prolonged drought and record power consumption. Iran
