Ethnic/Religious Minorities

Travelers from the Middle East arrive at the International Arrivals section at Los Angeles International Airport on June 29, 2017.

Trump travel ban 2.0: Assessing the impact on Mideast nations

Trump’s new decision excludes Syria and Iraq, both of which were part of his previous ban issued during his first term in 2017.

A handout picture from the Syrian state news agency SANA showing members of the security forces in Syria's coastal region

EU sanctions Sunni factions accused of violence against Syria’s Alawites, Kurds

As former rebel leaders take positions in the new Syrian government, Kurdish officials warn of renewed threats to their autonomy.

A man walks by the synagogue of Rouen, in northwestern France, on Jan. 7, 2025, following the discovery of an antisemitic graffiti.

Rise in antisemitism in US, Europe preceded Washington shooting: What to know

In the United States, Europe, Canada and Australia, the number and severity of antisemitic incidents continue to rise.

new delhi

Iranian, Saudi officials in India as more airlines halt service amid Pakistan row

Iranian and Saudi officials headed to New Delhi in separate visits following Indian airstrikes in Pakistan that raised fears of war between the neighboring countries.

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Macron after meeting Sharaa: Lifting Syria sanctions 'in everyone's interest'

Tom Nicholson/Getty Images

Syria Druze leader decries 'genocidal attack' as clashes leave 101 dead

OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images

Middle East churches, Al-Azhar, leaders mourn Pope Francis

Pope Francis is welcomed at Presidential Palace on Feb. 4, 2019 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Pope Francis, voice for Middle East peace and first to visit Gulf, dies at 88

A worshiper waves the flag of Argentina as Pope Francis arrives for the weekly general audience on June 5, 2019 at St. Peter's square in the Vatican. (Photo by Vincenzo PINTO / AFP) (Photo credit should read VINCENZO PINTO/AFP via Getty Images)

By Rosaleen Carroll

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

Louis Raphael I Sako of Iraq poses as he attends the courtesy visit of relatives following a consistory for the creation of new cardinals in the Apostolic Palace at St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on June 28, 2018.

Iraq’s Sudani hosts Chaldean Patriarch in Baghdad following dispute

Patriarch Louis Sako moved from Baghdad to Erbil last year after the state revoked a decree recognizing him as head of the Chaldean Catholic Church, a move related to a dispute with the pro-Iran militia Babylon.

Ultra Orthodox Jewish youths block a road in Bnei Brak as they protest against their conscription into the Israeli armed forces, on April 1, 2024.

Analysis

Row in Israel over ultra-Orthodox draft threatens Netanyahu’s government

Ultra-Orthodox leaders are threatening to topple the government should the IDF start recruiting yeshiva students to serve in the army.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

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Analysis

How Israel’s far right is courting European populist, nationalist parties

Nationalist Israeli politicians have been reaching out to conservative and populist parties in Europe since Oct. 7.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Palestinians walk past the Dome of the Rock at the compound of the Al-Aqsa mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem on Feb. 20, 2024.

What to expect at Al-Aqsa during upcoming Ramadan

Despite calls by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to limit the entry of Muslim worshipers, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to allow a similar number of Palestinian worshippers as in previous years to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during the month of Ramadan.

Supporters hold a poster depicting Malis interim leader and head of Junta, Colonel Assimi Goïta (L) and Guinea Interim leader and head of Junta, Mamady Doumbouya (R), in Bamako, Mali, on September 22, 2022 during Mali's Independence Day military parade. (Photo by OUSMANE MAKAVELI / AFP) (Photo by OUSMANE MAKAVELI/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

As Mali’s junta pokes at Algeria, what’s at stake for North Africa and Sahel?

Three years after severing its ties with Morocco, Algeria faces challenges in its relations with Mali and other Sahel countries.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 24: Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu leaves 10, Downing Street after meeting Britain's Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, on March 24, 2023 in London, England. Benjamin Netanyahu visits London against a backdrop of unrest at home. Protest are being held weekly across Israel against legislation neing pushed through the Knesset by his government to restain the judiciary. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Analysis

Can't count him out: Netanyahu, allies score big in Israel's municipal elections

Despite the Likud's plunge in the polls, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party preserved most of its power in this week's municipal elections.

Mazal Mualem

By Mazal Mualem

In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics

AFP via Getty Images

UN accuses Sudan’s RSF of rape, ethnic killings as Hemedti courts region

A new UN report has documented the shocking brutality of the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo in Sudan’s Darfur region.

Masked Palestinian protesters walk near flaming tires during clashes with Israeli forces following a rally in solidarity with Gaza by supporters of the Fatah and Hamas movements, in the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank on October 13, 2023. AFP correspondents and a security official reported clashes after rallies in solidarity with war-battered Gaza in Ramallah, Nablus, Tulkarm, Hebron and other cities and towns, with the Palestinian Red Crescent reporting dozens wounded across the West Bank, some cr

Analysis

As Gaza boils, West Bank implosion tops Israel's, US fears on eve of Ramadan

US and Israeli officials fear potential unrest over access to Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan and its spread to Israeli Arab communities and the rest of the region.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

BERLIN, GERMANY - DECEMBER 4: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at Chancellory on December 4, 2023 in Berlin, Germany. The German and Brazilian governments are holding consultations today in Berlin. (Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images)

Will Israel-Brazil row escalate as envoys recalled over Lula's Hitler comments?

Both Israel and Brazil are still recoiling after Brazilian President Luiz Ignazio Lula da Silva likened Israel's actions during the Gaza war to the Nazi regime.

A policeman stands guard in front of the Azerbaijan embassy in Tehran on January 27, 2023, following an attack. - Azerbaijan on January 27 said it was evacuating staff from its embassy in Tehran, blaming Iran for a "terrorist" attack in which the head of security was killed and two guards wounded. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran arrests several Azeris amid tensions with Azerbaijan

As Iranian-Azeri ties continue to be strained, Iran has arrested at least five ethnic Azeris accused of espionage and terrorism.

Supporters of Lebanon's President Michel Aoun cheer under a large national flag, as he prepares to leave the presidential palace in Babbda at the end of his mandate, east of the capital Beirut, on October 30, 2022. - Already reeling from three years of economic meltdown, Lebanon faces the prospect of its multi-faceted crisis deepening further when President Michel Aoun's mandate expires. (Photo by anwar amro / AFP) (Photo by ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images)

In Lebanon, Hezbollah’s alliance with Christian FPM movement shows cracks

The presidential vacuum and ongoing cross-border hostilities have strained already deteriorating relations between the Shiite Hezbollah group and the Free Patriotic Movement.

Pakistan activists protest in Lahore on Jan. 19, 2024, after Iran launched an airstrike in Pakistan's southwest Baluchistan province.

What's behind Turkey's muted response to Iran-Pakistan escalation?

Two considerations stand out in Turkey’s muted response to recent Iranian strikes in Iraq and Pakistan.