Foreign Minister Netanyahu sidelines own ministry As reflected in his conduct, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sees himself as an airborne Foreign Ministry that does all the work and does not need hundreds of professionals working under him. Israel
Putin guides Erdogan along the Road to Damascus The Russian and Turkish presidents agree to rekindle 1998 Adana agreement. Syria
US-Gulf tensions mount over restrictions on Syria reconstruction Gulf states are seeking to become major economic players in post-war Syria, but US sanctions are causing some states to proceed with caution. United Arab Emirates
Hamas denies Arab media talk about new prisoner swap negotiations with Israel Qatar’s Al-Araby al-Jadeed reported that talks between Israel and Hamas were renewed through European intermediaries, but the Islamic movement’s spokesman denies it. Palestine
Erdogan-Putin summit highlights differences over Syria Ankara gets little out of Moscow regarding its plans for northern Syria. Syria
Turkey’s metal, building industries in coma Declining production in key industrial sectors is seen as an omen that the worst of Turkey’s economic crisis might still be to come. Turkey
Why Rouhani should think beyond price controls to contain inflation In Iran, the Rouhani administration’s tendency to turn to price controls to stave off inflation carries major long-term costs in exchange for only short-term benefits. Iran
Are men getting away with murder in Gaza? As more and more women die in Gaza in honor killings or in what are reported to be accidents, some are calling for tougher sanctions against the perpetrators. Palestine
Iraq activates Supreme Anti-Corruption Council In order to combat corruption, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has restructured the Supreme Anti-Corruption Council established by his predecessor Haider al-Abadi. Iraq
Varying head counts of US forces in Iraq stir controversy It's hard to nail down how many US troops are in Iraq, but some Iraqi political factions say any number is too high. Iraq
Will the US renege on its promises to protect SDF in Syria? Turkey is pushing ahead with the idea of a safe zone along its border with Syria. Syria
Places of worship for Egyptian Copts closed after protests Sectarian-related acts of violence continue in Egypt, particularly in Minya governorate, with extremists causing security forces to close a place of worship for the Copts. Egypt
PA opens new TV station in Damascus The Palestinian Authority’s official TV station inaugurated its new headquarters in Damascus, a move that was seen as paving the way for normalizing ties with the Syrian regime. Palestine
Can the Shin Bet stop hilltop youths' march to Armageddon? Shin Bet sources admit that they have little means to tamp down the young extremist settlers known as hilltop youth, who carry out violent attacks against Palestinians in the hopes of sparking a conflagration. Palestine
Qatar sinks into Gaza quagmire Qatar wanted to please the United States and help Gaza residents with aid money, but has found itself trapped in a standoff between Hamas and Israel. Qatar
Netanyahu’s archrival before elections: the attorney general To save himself from an indictment before the April elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argues that the political left is pressuring Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit to indict him. Israel
