Israel’s Meretz party giving up on Arabs Despite the support it gained in the September elections within the Israeli-Arab communities, the Meretz party list will not include an Arab candidate in a realistic slot. Israel
Trump's threat to Iran's antiquities sets off global uproar With 24 recognized sites, Iran is most heavily represented Middle Eastern country on UNESCO's list of world heritage sites. U.S.
Erdogan's ties with Turkish army gets alarmingly personal The extraordinary personalization of Turkey’s civilian-military relations is deinstitutionalizing the Turkish military structure and causing internal power struggles within the army ranks. Turkey
Will Carlos Ghosn be safe from prosecution in Lebanon? Lebanese businessman Carlos Ghosn escaped from house arrest in Tokyo and headed to Lebanon, where the judiciary is now weighing whether his past visit to Israel could be considered an act of normalization. Lebanon
Will Egyptians benefit from latest fuel price move? Egypt’s Follow-up Committee for the Automatic Pricing Mechanism for Petroleum Products recently issued its quarterly decision on the trajectory of domestic fuel prices. Egypt
Small West Bank school holds firm despite settler attacks To get an education, the students in Yanoun, a Palestinian village near Nablus, must deal with attacks by Israeli settlers on the way to school and even in their homes. Palestine
Israel’s economy victim of political gridlock Without a new state budget, without new senior officials and without new reforms, Israel’s economy is one of the biggest victims of the current political chaos. Israel
Lebanon reacts following Nasrallah speech Supporters of Lebanon’s Hezbollah were divided over its leader’s speech following the killing of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, with some saying Hezbollah must react and others saying the Iranian strikes at the military bases in Iraq were enough. Lebanon
Egyptian political party leaders react to Sisi’s merger proposal As Egypt prepares for parliamentary elections in November, political party representatives examine what's needed to implement the president's advice to consolidate the country's more than 100 parties. Egypt
Hamas intensifies Western dialogues to break political isolation Hamas has stepped up its meetings with US and EU officials in an attempt to break its isolation and emerge on the international diplomatic scene. Palestine
Bernie Sanders, Ilhan Omar push Democrats left on Iran war powers The Congressional Progressive Caucus has been instrumental in setting the Democratic agenda to push back against President Donald Trump’s Iran policy. Yemen
Dueling Middle East lobbyists rush to praise Trump for Soleimani killing Foreign agents seeking to sway the president on behalf of both warring factions in Libya are among the cheer squad. U.S.
Turkey’s ruling party blasts Australian camel cull After a Turkish government spokesman condemned the killing of overpopulated camels in Australia, critics pointed out the ruling party's record has been anything but friendly to the environment and animal rights. Turkey
Iraqi protests got caught in an Iranian-American war The escalation between US and Iran left Iraqis trapped with many nightmares threatening their protests, economy and country’s unity. Iraq
Will Israel get Republican/Democrat-style big parties? The fate of Israel’s next elections will be determined within the next few days by the alliances forged or not forged between the parties on Israel’s political right and left. Israel
IRGC general claims Iran did not target troops in attack The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Aerospace Force commander has said that Iran targeted a command center in its missile attack in Iraq. U.S.