What lies behind Erdogan’s Syria offer to the West? The Turkish president’s appeal to the West to back Turkey in Syria and make political gains “at minimum cost” comes as a sign he has little intention of giving up his ambitions in Syria. Syria
Rival of Israeli prime minister warns of US Capitol style riot after election Avigdor Liberman claimed without evidence that supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are planning an event similar to the Jan. 6 storming of the US Capitol if Netanyahu loses next week’s election. News Brief
Israel’s president campaigns in France against Hezbollah On his last European tour stop, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin met in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron, campaigning against Hezbollah’s entrenchment in Lebanon and against the Iranian nuclear threat. Israel
Islamic Jihad still unsure on supporting Hamas in Palestinian elections Palestinian Islamic Jihad is considering supporting lists backed or formed by Hamas in the upcoming legislative elections. By Ahmad Abu Amer
Egyptian opposition groups urge tougher US action against Sisi government The Egyptian opposition abroad, including the Muslim Brotherhood, has launched a campaign to pressure the Egyptian government to improve human rights conditions, similar to what Washington is doing in Saudi Arabia. Egypt
Rouhani says Iran 'awaiting action' on nuclear deal The standoff continues between the United States and Iran as each demand the other make the first move. Iran
The Takeaway: Would Hamas complicate US plans for reset with Palestinians? Also: the back story on the spat between Israel and Jordan; Gulf post-COVID economic trends; Turkey’s Kurds; Egypt and Somalia; and more! Originals
Egypt sentences activist Sanaa Seif to 18 months in prison Seif, who had been in pretrial detention since June, was convicted Wednesday of spreading false news and misusing social media. Egypt
Ukraine rejects Iran's final report on downed passenger plane The Iranian government said last year's shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was the result of a human error. Iran
Palestinians receive first batch of vaccines through COVAX More than 60,000 doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines arrived in Ramallah on Wednesday. Palestine
Tunisian president meets new Libyan unity government Tunisia and Libya were major trade partners before the political transitions in both countries during the Arab Spring. Tunisia was neutral during the Libyan civil war that ended in December. Originals
Iran operating new advanced centrifuges, nuclear watchdog finds According to an International Atomic Energy Agency report, Iran is now using IR-4 centrifuges to enrich uranium in violation of the nuclear accord. Iran
Lawsuit filed to close pro-Kurdish party after lawmaker stripped of parliamentary seat Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party deputy known to focus on human rights abuses, was stripped of his parliament seat and a lawsuit was filed to close the party March 17. Turkey
Israeli and Emirati rugby teams to play each other for first time The rugby sevens match in Dubai is the latest example of the strengthening of relations between Israel and the UAE and shows a shift in Israel's sports relations with other regional states. United Arab Emirates
UN says Libya arms embargo 'totally ineffective' A United Nations panel of experts accused several member states, including Turkey and Russia, of fueling the Libyan conflict. Libya
