Israeli Labor at loss, abandoned by voters Recent polls indicate that had elections taken place today, Israel's Labor party would have garnered less than half of the Knesset seats it has today. Israel
Palestinian Authority warns Israel of strengthening Hamas Senior Ramallah Palestinians warn Israel that its efforts to weaken President Mahmoud Abbas would end up with Hamas taking over the West Bank and Palestinian leadership. Palestine
US Syria pullout may be more than Turkey asked for The haste with which President Donald Trump appears to be dumping the Americans’ Syrian Kurdish allies is not necessarily what Turkey’s president had hoped for and will likely pose new problems for Ankara. Originals
Is Erdogan’s brinkmanship forcing Washington to climb down? Ankara is pleased with Trump’s decision to pull out of Syria, but it greets this decision with a mixture of caution and skepticism. Syria
How real are Erdogan’s ‘second Gezi’ worries? Turkey’s president and his far-right ally have come to issue harsh warnings against opposition protests, but in the absence of any sign that such protests could erupt, their real aim appears to be to nourish polarization. Turkey
How insecurity in Iran's southeast could benefit UAE, Pakistan Regional rivalry over maritime trade has intensified speculations in Iran about possible Emirati-Pakistani involvement in the recent terror attack in the southeastern port of Chabahar. Iran
Iranian analysts welcome US withdrawal from Syria Iran's government has not officially reacted to Trump's announcement of a US withdrawal from Syria, but Iranian analysts have welcomed the news. Syria
Iraqi artist preserves Iraqi heritage in 3D exhibition An Iraqi engineer leads his own mission to preserve Iraq's heritage in 3D reconstructions. Iraq
Will kafala system come to an end in Gulf countries soon? Egyptian expats expressed hope after Egypt and Kuwait signed a memorandum of understanding to regulate the status and sponsorship of workers, which paves the way for the elimination of the controversial kafala system. Kuwait
Netanyahu’s government full steam ahead with undemocratic legislation Israeli security and judicial systems both object to measures against Palestinian civilians, yet the Netanyahu government keeps advancing undemocratic legislation. Palestine
Israeli settlements threaten to engulf West Bank communities Israel announced a project to build a water pipeline connecting two settlements in southern Nablus, which raises Palestinians' fears that a larger plan is in the works to divide the West Bank. Palestine
House Democrats prepare to take on Trump over Iran sanctions Democrats and advocacy groups are preparing to confront the Donald Trump administration about obstacles to humanitarian exemptions in the Iran sanctions regime. United States
Mohammed bin Salman's awful year King Salman will pay a price for standing by his son as 2018 has become the year it all went bad for the crown prince and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Despite difficulties, Russia optimistic about Syria's Constitutional Committee Though the UN has yet to confirm who will serve on Syria's Constitutional Committee, the Astana trio is optimistic about the committee's overall prospects, especially after the United States announced it will withdraw its troops from Syria. Syria
