Middle East In Focus is a synopsis of commentary and news from Middle Eastern and other international media. Its purpose is to provide a succinct and balanced summary of the main developments and views that are often overlooked or not properly reflected in the U.S. media.
Comments and feedback are welcome at info@mepc.org.
Political Isolation and Libya's Future
May 17, 2013
Yair Lapid and Israeli Austerity
May 14, 2013
Has Syria Crossed the "Red Line"?
April 29, 2013
Hezbollah in Syria
April 25, 2013
Iraqis Vote in Provincial Elections
April 22, 2013
Palestinian Unification and Fayyad's Resignation
April 16, 2013
Is Iraq Better Off?
April 12, 2013
Israeli-Turkish Relations and a New Government in Lebanon
April 9, 2013
Iran Tries to Come In from the Cold
April 4, 2013
Netanyahu's Aplogy and Israeli-Turkish Detente
March 25, 2013
Obama's Visit to Israel and Palestine - Part I
March 21, 2013
On China's Leadership Transition
March 18, 2013
Iraq 10 Years After the Invasion
March 15, 2013
Opposition in Syria Gains U.S. Support even as UN Hostages Taken
March 11, 2013
Reactions to Erdogan's Comments on Zionism
March 6, 2013
Boycotting Egyptian Elections a Non-Starter, Say Observers
February 28, 2013
Palestinians Protest Israeli Detention Policies
February 26, 2013
Tzipi Livni Joins Netanyahu Coalition
February 22, 2013
Tunisia in Trouble
February 20, 2013
Obama's Upcoming Visit to the Holy Land
February 11, 2013
Israel's Airstrike Draws Rebukes
February 6, 2013
Quo Vadis Syria?
February 1, 2013
Egypt's New Normal?
January 30, 2013
Elections in Israel and Jordan Maintain Status Quo
January 24, 2013
Regional Wariness and Obama's Second Term
January 22, 2013
Saudi Women Gain Representation on the Shura Council
January 14, 2013
Israeli Voters Prepare for New Elections
January 11, 2013
Maliki's Actions Continue to Antagonize Iraqi Sunnis
January 8, 2013
Israel Determined to Push Forward with Settlement Construction
December 21, 2012
Egypt's Constitutional Poll Seen as Divisive
December 18, 2012
Israel's "Doomsday" Settlement
December 7, 2012
Sectarian Tension in Lebanon and Iraq
December 4, 2012
The Exhumation of Arafat
November 30, 2012
Egypt's Revolution at Risk
November 27, 2012
Turkey and Egypt Vie for Influence
November 26, 2012
Prelude to Another War in Gaza?
November 16, 2012
Changes in Saudi Arabia and Syria
November 13, 2012
Regional Comments on Obama's Re-election
November 9, 2012
Are the Palestinians Giving up the Right of Return?
November 6, 2012
The Two-State Solution Drifts Further Away
October 31, 2012
Is Lebanon on the Cusp of Another Civil War?
October 25, 2012
Regional Reactions to the Presidential Debate
October 19, 2012
Morsi at 100 Days
October 15, 2012
The Other Elections
October 12, 2012
Will Turkey and Syria Go to War?
October 10, 2012
Green-on-Blue Attacks in Afghanistan
October 2, 2012
Mixed Reactions to Netanyahu's UN Speech
September 28, 2012
Palestinians Protest Amid Economic Hardship
September 24, 2012
Romney's Palestine Comments Raise Eyebrows
September 21, 2012
Regional Media Reactions to Film Protests
September 19, 2012
Reflections on the 11th Anniversary of 9/11
September 13, 2012
Middle East Perspectives on the U.S. Election
September 10, 2012
Rachel Corrie Verdict Draws Strong Reactions
September 4, 2012
Iraq Instability Grows Amidst Regional and Local Tension
August 29, 2012
Tehran Hosts the Non-Aligned Movement
August 24, 2012
Syrian Conflict Risks Destabilizing Region
August 22, 2012
Israel's Media: Debating the Merits of War with Iran
August 17, 2012
Egypt: A Muslim Brotherhood Power Grab?
August 14, 2012
Sinai Turmoil Raises Serious Questions
August 10, 2012
Turkish FM's Visit to Kirkuk Raises Eyebrows
August 7, 2012
Romney's Visit to Israel
August 2, 2012
Iraq Sees Spike in Violence
July 27, 2012
Is It Endgame for Assad?
July 23, 2012
Libya's Elections
July 20, 2012
Levy Report Resurrects "Greater Israel"
July 16, 2012
Who Killed Yasser Arafat?
July 12, 2012
Action Group on Syria Fails to Deliver
July 9, 2012
The U.S. Apology: A Victory or a Fig Leaf for Pakistan?
July 6, 2012
Turkey and Syria at the Brink... and Back
June 29, 2012
Gaza Blockade Turns 5
June 25, 2012
Tahrir Square 2.0?
June 15, 2012
Maliki and the Opposition
June 12, 2012
Israel-Turkey Relations Remain Strained
June 5, 2012
Syria after Houla
June 1, 2012
Regional Reflections on Egypt's Elections
May 30, 2012
Pakistan and Afghanistan Take Center Stage at NATO Summit
May 25, 2012
GCC Debates Gulf Union
May 22, 2012
Syria's Conflict Spills into Lebanon
May 17, 2012
Netanyahu Forms Surprise Coalition with Kadima
May 14, 2012
A Tense Period for Egyptian/Saudi Relations
May 8, 2012
Looking Ahead to the Egyptian Presidential Elections
May 4, 2012
Taking Stock on the Anniversary of Osama bin Laden's Death
May 2, 2012
State of Israel Turns 64 Amid Controversy
April 30, 2012
Mixed Reaction to recent IDF Violence
April 23, 2012
Iran's Busy Week in International News
April 17, 2012
Shia Opposition in Bahrain Return to the Streets
April 13, 2012
Instability in Yemen as ex-Regime Loyalists Purged
April 9, 2012
Presidential Elections in Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood
April 6, 2012
Palestinians Commemorate Land Day with Protests
April 2, 2012
Israelis React to the Toulouse Killings
March 29, 2012
Arab Summit to be Held Amidst Violence
March 22, 2012
What Asad's Leaked Emails Tell Us
March 20, 2012
Will the Kandahar Killings Hasten U.S. Withdrawal?
March 16, 2012
Israelis and Palestinians under Attack
March 13, 2012
Russian Elections and Syria
March 9, 2012
Saudi Speech Signals Shift on Syria
March 6, 2012
U.S. Insensitivity Sparks Riots
February 28, 2012
Yemen after Saleh
February 24, 2012
Iraq's Kurds under Pressure
February 21, 2012
Israeli/Iranian Cold War Heats Up
February 17, 2012
Running Out of Options in Syria
February 14, 2012
Debating the Prospects for Israeli-Palestinian Peace
February 10, 2012
Soccer and Politics in Egypt
February 7, 2012
What Options for Iran?
February 3, 2012
Is Libya's Future at Risk?
February 1, 2012
Israeli-Palestinian Talks at an Impasse
January 27, 2012
Turkey and France at Odds Over Armenian 'Genocide' Bill
January 25, 2012
Egypt's Revolution Turns One Year Old
January 20, 2012
Iraq Risks Further Distintegration
January 17, 2012
Israel's Ultra-Orthodox Problem
January 9, 2012
Bar Low for Israeli-Palestinian Talks
January 6, 2012
Should Iranian Threats Be Taken Seriously?
January 3, 2012
Hamas and Fatah Contemplate Closer Cooperation
December 27, 2011
Lebanon Continues to be Rocked by Instability
December 22, 2011
Iraq after the U.S. Troop Withdrawal
December 15, 2011
U.S. Presidential Politics and the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict
December 12, 2011
What Does Saleh's Departure Mean for Yemen?
November 28, 2011
Flurry of Controversial Legislation in Israel
November 23, 2011
Has Egypt's Revolution been Hijacked?
November 21, 2011
The Arab League Takes on Syria: Part 2
November 14, 2011
Is Egypt's Revolution at Risk?
November 10, 2011
How real is Israel's Threat against Iran?
November 7, 2011
Regional Reaction to Palestine's UNESCO Bid
November 3, 2011
Islamist Party Wins in Tunisia
October 31, 2011
The Arab League Calls for Dialogue in Syria
October 24, 2011
Libya and the Region after the Death of Gaddafi
October 21, 2011
Regional Perspectives on the Alleged Iranian Plot
October 17, 2011
Israel and Hamas Agree on Prisoner Swap
October 13, 2011
Afghanistan Ten Years Later
October 10, 2011
Military Government in Egypt Announces Parliamentary Elections
October 4, 2011
A Step Forward for Women in Saudi Arabia
September 30, 2011
Unhappiness at President Obama's UN Speech
September 26, 2011
Reactions to the Palestinian UN Statehood Bid
September 21, 2011
Instability in Northern Iraq
September 19, 2011
Israeli Embassy Attack Raises Questions
September 12, 2011
Middle Eastern Perspectives on 9/11
September 9, 2011
Another Blow to the Israeli-Turkish Alliance
September 7, 2011
Eid Messages from the Region
September 1, 2011
Revisiting the Camp David Peace Treaty
August 29, 2011
Libya: Commentary from the Region
August 25, 2011
Egypt-Israel Relations Increasingly Tenuous
August 23, 2011
Syria Under Pressure... Again
August 16, 2011
The Middle East Debates the London Riots
August 12, 2011
Israel's Own Version of the Arab Spring?
August 8, 2011
Regional Perspectives on Mubarak's Trial
August 5, 2011
Turkey at a Crossroads
August 2, 2011
Some Reflections on the Arab Spring
July 29, 2011
The Region Reacts to the Norway Massacre
July 26, 2011
Moment of Truth for Syria's Bashar Al-Assad
July 22, 2011
Palestinians Continue their Quest for a State
July 20, 2011
Reaction to the New Israeli Boycott Ban Law
July 15, 2011
Israel and Turkey on the Mend
July 13, 2011
The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt: A Victim of its Own Success?
July 5, 2011
Hezbollah Members Indicted by International Criminal Tribunal
July 1, 2011
The Religious Right in Israel and the Transformation of the IDF
June 29, 2011
Reaction to Announcement of U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan
June 27, 2011
Unemployment in Gaza and EU Diplomatic Forays
June 16, 2011
Iraq: Renewed Internal Tensions
June 13, 2011
What's Next for Syria?
June 9, 2011
Debating Turkey's Upcoming Elections
June 7, 2011
Saudi Arabia Debates Right of Women to Drive
June 2, 2011
Egypt Opens Its Border with Gaza
May 31, 2011
Pakistan: Introspection and Finger-Pointing
May 27, 2011
Yemen's Saleh: Should He Stay or Should He Go?
May 23, 2011
Obama's Speech Gets Mixed Reviews from Israeli and Arab Press
May 20, 2011
Amid Turmoil, GCC Extends Invitation to Jordan and Morocco
May 16, 2011
A New Foreign Policy in Egypt
May 9, 2011
Internal Divisions in Iran
May 9, 2011
What the Fatah/Hamas Reconciliation Means for the Region
May 6, 2011
The Region Reacts to News of Bin Laden's Death
May 2, 2011
Reaction to the Syrian Crackdown
April 29, 2011
Palestinian Factionalism and the Murders of Juliano Mer-Khamis and Vittorio Arrigoni
April 26, 2011
Uncertainty in Syria after Assad's Speech
April 21, 2011
France Bans Wearing of the Full Veil in Public
April 18, 2011
Arab Protests, Islam and the West
April 14, 2011
Knesset Passes Nakba Law Targeted at its Arab Citizens
April 12, 2011
Middle East Reacts to the Goldstone Retraction
April 8, 2011
Israelis React to the Goldstone Retraction
April 7, 2011
Iran and Saudi Arabia Spar over GCC Troops in Bahrain
April 5, 2011
Amid Chaos, Palestinians Call for Unity
March 25, 2011
The UN Resolution on Libya: A Conflicted Middle East
March 21, 2011
Women and Revolution in the Middle East
March 11, 2011
J Street Holds Annual Conference Amid Controversy
March 7, 2011
Who Will Lead Egypt?
February 28, 2011
What Should the West Do about Libya?
February 25, 2011
Reaction to U.S. Veto of UNSC Resolution on Israeli Settlements
February 23, 2011
Israel in a post-Mubarak Middle East
February 17, 2011
Middle East Turmoil: Saudi Arabia Apart From the Rest?
February 16, 2011
Elections in Palestine and a Hezbollah-led Government in Lebanon
February 14, 2011
The U.S. Role in the Middle East Takes a Hit
February 8, 2011
Ripple Effects of the Turmoil in Egypt
February 2, 2011
The "Palestine Papers" Leak: A Game Changer?
January 28, 2011
What the Jasmine Revolution Means for the MENA Countries
January 21, 2011
Al-Sadr Returns to Iraq
January 13, 2011
The Mideast Peace Process: Running Out of Time?
January 6, 2011
Iraq: Kurds Renew Demands for Self-Determination
December 16, 2010
The Middle East Reacts to WikiLeaks - Part 2
December 9, 2010
The U.S. Offer to Israel: An Act of Desperation or Audacity?
December 2, 2010
Women in Saudi Arabia
November 19, 2010
Jordan's Parliamentary Elections and the Muslim Brotherhood
November 12, 2010
Saudi Offer to Broker Iraq Talks Gets Mixed Reviews
November 2, 2010
The Middle East Reacts to WikiLeaks
October 26, 2010
Lebanon on the Brink...Again?
October 19, 2010
Egyptian Parliamentary Elections
October 6, 2010
Sectarian Tensions in the Gulf
September 29, 2010
