In one of the most hotly-contested elections in recent memory, with possibly the highest voter turnout in nearly two decades, Israelis appear to have surprised previous polls by streaming away from smaller parties to strengthen both Likud and the Zionist Union. Yet despite the apparent shift from the last set...

This post is updated to reflect exit poll adjustments by Channels 1 and 10. As the Israeli election concluded today, exit polls showed that the Likud party, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is either tied or slightly ahead of the main opposition, the Zionist Union. Polls from Israel’s three major...

With voter participation now at its highest level in more than a decade after slightly underwhelming turnout earlier in the day, Israeli political parties are making their final pitches to be included in the next government. According to the latest numbers at 8:00 PM local time, voter participation was at 65.7%,...

The human rights situation in Iran has worsened since Hassan Rouhani became president in August 2013, according to recent statements made by numerous human rights experts. Ahmed Shaheed, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, said yesterday that executions and human rights violations have actually increased under Rouhani. Shaheed asserted...

Millions of Israeli citizens are heading to polling stations today to vote in one of the most contentious polls in recent memory. As of 4:00 PM local time, 45.4% of eligible voters have cast ballots in today’s Israeli elections, according to the Israeli Central Elections Committee. This is slightly lower than the 46.6% turnout at that point in...

Asaf Brimer spent 25 years in the Israeli air force and aerospace sector before an idea came into his mind like a shooting star across the horizon: He would bring Israeli Arab and Jewish students together through a collaborative research center focused on outer space. Moona — a Space for...

The largest economic conference in Egypt’s history concluded Sunday (Arabic link) in the Sinai resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, resulting in commitments to large projects and agreements that exceeded the Egyptian government’s expectations. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was among the the hundreds of world leaders and business representatives at...

Former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni, whose Hatnua party merged with the Isaac Herzog-led Labor Party to form the Zionist Union slate, announced today, hours before Israelis are set to elect a new government, that she would forgo an opportunity to serve as prime minister as part of a rotation agreement...

As the deadline for a political framework deal over Iran’s nuclear program approaches at the end of the month, the Islamic Republic is doubling down on demands to allow hundreds of centrifuges to continue operating at the Fordo site and keep the Arak heavy water reactor, according to a report today in The Times...

If United Nations Security Council sanctions against Iran are removed as part of a deal over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, it could lead to a situation where Iran would have the “‘high ground’ as a victim of American lawlessness in future confrontations over its nuclear ambitions,” according to an...