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
Israel’s soft power victim of Netanyahu’s policies The absence of Israel from the Paris Peace Forum reflects the spirit of its leadership, belittling multinational initiatives and neglecting soft power tools. Israel
Erdogan heads for Washington, where Trump's hands already full Turkey’s president is on his way to Washington in a bid to salvage battered ties, but despite his positive chemistry with the US president, the Turkish leader is likely to hit a wall. Turkey
Islamic Jihad leader's elimination serves both Netanyahu, Hamas Hamas' silence amid the violence with Israel indicates that the rulers of Gaza are shedding no tears over the fate of assassinated Islamic Jihad leader Bahaa Abu el-Atta, and the escalation is benefitting Israel's embattled prime minister as well. Palestine
Where are the other IPOs in the Mideast? The Middle East needs to grow companies that do not depend on the state as a key investor. Gulf
Turkish Central Bank suffers big credibility loss The Turkish Central Bank’s obedience to the government, both in terms of monetary policy and interventions in the foreign exchange market, is badly damaging its credibility among foreign investors, the ultimate cost of which will be borne by the crisis-hit economy. Turkey
Eastern Syria fighters accused of brutality after videos emerge The commander of Ahrar al-Sharqiya, an armed faction whose fighters have been accused of extrajudicial killings, spoke to Al-Monitor about his militants' relationship to the eastern Deir ez-Zor region. Syria
Fourth Cabinet reshuffle raises questions about economic reforms in Jordan Jordan’s prime minister conducted a Cabinet reshuffle for the fourth time since ascending to power to advance economic reforms required by a loan deal with the International Monetary Fund. Jordan
Egypt boosts ties with Syria In response to Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria, the Egyptian parliament hosted Syrian Ambassador to Egypt Bassam Darwish in a move to show its official support for Syria against Turkey, and as a prelude to better diplomatic relations. Egypt
IDF says it had no choice but to kill Islamic Jihad senior The Israeli military operation to kill Islamic Jihad commander Bahaa Abu al-Atta was planned months in advance, after a series of rockets were fired toward Israel, including on Ashdod while Prime Minister Benjamin was delivering a speech there. Palestine
Is Iran trying to hijack Iraqi protesters’ demands? Political parties in Baghdad that are close to Iran may be trying to use Iraqis' ongoing protests as an excuse to change the parliamentary system to a presidential one — something the protesters have never asked for. Iraq
Israel’s Gaza policy: a recipe for escalation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading a caretaker government that shouldn’t last long, yet he authorized a complicated operation that generated a barrage of Gaza rockets. Palestine
Europe seeks diplomatic next steps on Iran Warning about the resumption of enrichment at Iran’s underground Fordow facility, Europeans look for a diplomatic path that could get the United States and Iran back to the table, and keep the deal alive through 2020 US elections. United States