Newsletter: Daily Briefing Pakistan's army chief visits Iran as Islamabad dials up mediation push Pakistan intensifies Iran mediation efforts, Syria’s Sharaa secures a G7 invite and Azerbaijan stirs tensions in Turkey. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Interview Ahmad Tibi says Arab parties in Israel can block Netanyahu without joining next government Ahmad Tibi, head of the Arab Israeli Ta’al party, accused US President Trump of enabling Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to continue the war in Gaza and escalate settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Ahmad Tibi Israeli Arab lawmaker
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Pakistan interior minister in Tehran amid mediation push Mohsin Reza Naqvi’s second trip to Iran in less than a week comes as Islamabad seeks to preserve a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran and amid renewed US threats of military action. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Syria's Sharaa renews ban on Israeli imports in customs law: What to know The renewal comes even as Damascus pursues US-backed security talks with Israel aimed at reducing tensions along the border. Syria
Analysis Israel pushes for full Iran blockade as it awaits Trump's next move By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Pressure increases on Israel's attorney general over case against Netanyahu As tensions heighten with Israel's attorney general getting closer to deciding whether to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, some Netanyahu supporters are crying foul over police tactics during the interrogation of Nir Hefetz, a key witness, and claim that as a result of them the most serious charges against the prime minister should be dropped. Israel
Trump defender Dershowitz signs on as lobbyist for Israeli billionaire accused of looting Africa The civil liberties lawyer is close to both US and Israeli leaders. Israel
Will 2020 candidates' calls to condition Israeli military aid spark public debate? The calls of Democrats Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to condition US security aid to Israel on changes of policy could alienate the Israeli public but could also trigger a useful public debate and even revingorate Israel's security industry. Palestine
Israel's Bennett becoming principal actor again The recent rapprochement between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and New Right senior leader Naftali Bennett is turning Bennett once again into a principal political actor. Israel
Hamas, Gaza on agenda of Israel’s coalition talks New Right senior Naftali Bennett has toned down his statements on the Gaza Strip over the past few days; he is interested in becoming the defense minister in a future Netanyahu government. Palestine
Jordan willing to escalate to get back its citizens detained by Israel Jordan has recalled its ambassador to Tel Aviv in protest against the ongoing administrative detention of two of its nationals, threatening to take further escalatory steps. Israel
Israel 2019, at the mercy of the Chief Rabbinate The Haifa rabbinical court decided to take children out of their mother's custody, because the mother was not keeping a religious lifestyle. Israel
Interview Saudi Arabia still awaiting signs of ‘goodwill’ from Iran In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Prince Turki bin Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud talks about the "dramatic effect" of the September attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil fields, and says there will be no official Saudi contacts with Israel until the Palestinian issue is resolved. Prince Turki bin Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud Former Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the US
As indictment deadline approaches, Netanyahu panics The perfect storm is approaching: Not only will Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit decide soon whether or not to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leaks from police questioning of Yair Netanyahu make the picture even darker. Israel
Top Netanyahu donors’ West Bank winery seeks Trump’s help fighting EU The Psagot winery has hired a former US ambassador to the EU to lobby against “settlement” labeling regulations. Israel
Abbas conditions PA elections on polling stations in Jerusalem Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has made East Jerusalem polling stations a requirement for elections for the Palestinian Parliament. Palestine
Netanyahu’s Israel: Safe-haven for criminals Israel’s ill repute for political corruption has an additional aspect: Capitalizing on their Jewish origins, criminals from other countries are finding a safe haven in Israel from law enforcement authorities abroad who prefer these criminals remain in Israel. Israel