After Jordan, Emirates also furious with Netanyahu Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not only managed to get into a diplomatic row with Jordan, he also succeeded in angering the Emiratis. Israel
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
Netanyahu courts Arab voters as 'Abu Yair' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has adopted a new strategy for the Arab public: cynically rebranding himself as "Abu Yair." Israel
Iraq's Ninevah province turns back on Shiite forces The Ninevah provincial council has voted to replace a governor who was close to Iran-backed forces with a military man who is close to the United States. Iraq
Netanyahu’s plan for winning an outright majority in the Knesset If he wants his right-wing ultra-Orthodox bloc to win 61 seats so he can form an immunity coalition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will need Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked to run as part of the New Right list and pass the electoral threshold. Israel
Intel: Pentagon worried Turkey ‘spinning out’ of NATO orbit Defense Secretary Mark Esper told an audience at a New York think tank he was worried that Turkey is “spinning out” of the NATO orbit. Turkey
White House provides lifeline to US ties with Turkey and Saudi Arabia Turkish and Saudi leaders look to Trump to prevent relations with the United States from going bad to worse. Saudi Arabia
Israel’s love of Kurds weaponized by their foes Israel's support of Kurdish autonomy in Syria is not always welcomed — at least publicly — by Syria's Kurds. Israel
Intel: Lebanon aid wrangling exposes divide in Trump administration The US Treasury Department today sanctioned one Democratic Republic of Congo-based and two Lebanon-based individuals accused of financing Hezbollah: Saleh Assi, Nazem Said Ahmad and Tony Saab. Lebanon
The ultra-Orthodox dilemma on slamming Liberman Ultra-Orthodox politicians fear that any attacks against Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Liberman would actually reinforce him within secular electorate. Israel
2020 elections: Israeli-Arab party aspires to 15 seats Arab Joint List Knesset members are in an excellent mood: They believe that grassroots campaigning could garner them 15 seats in the upcoming March elections. Israel
France to support Palestinian agriculture in West Bank areas under Israeli control The Palestinian government and the French Development Agency signed agreements that will support the development of agriculture and water networks in Area C. Palestine
Will Turkish lira save economy in Syria's opposition-held areas? As Syria's currency plunges against the dollar, the opposition's Syrian Interim Government plans to replace the Syrian pound with the Turkish lira in the areas it controls. Syria
Israelis from Russia: A voyage from atheism to religion Despite the secular campaign by Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Liberman, and despite their atheist upbringing, a significant number of Jews who immigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union have become religious. Israel
Yemen's shaky power-sharing pact faces uncertain future The agreement between Yemen's government and secessionist forces in the south has shown little progress since it was signed more than a month ago. Saudi Arabia