Iran, the main ally of the Syrian regime, is trying to bring Turkey into an alliance with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, according to leaked documents published in Al-Arab (Arabic link). The Iranians are doing this using a variety of methods, including emphasizing the growing conflict between the American and Turkish governments. In...

The harsh daily life in Gaza just got harder after Hamas imposed additional taxes. Business dealers and civilians in Gaza told the Arab website “24” that the Hamas Ministry of Finance decided to impose taxes on all basic commodities, both on sellers and buyers in the stores and supermarkets. Hamas...

After winning praise from critics in Israel and abroad, film-making team Shlomi and Ronit Elkabetz are now celebrating a nod from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Their film, Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem, is a nominee for Best Foreign Film at the upcoming 72nd Golden Globe Awards to be broadcast...

An Israeli start-up, Engie, has developed a system that not only diagnoses car troubles, but also recommends the least expensive repairs, according to a report yesterday on the Israeli financial website Globes. The company’s product has two parts – a device that attaches to a vehicle’s on-board computer (OBC) and has a Bluetooth component,...

The parliament of the European Union voted today to reject the tactic of unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood, instead declaring that recognition should come as a result of negotiations. Reuters reports: Following a deal among the main parties, the motion carried by 498 votes to 88 stated: “(The European Parliament) supports...

At a rally held in advance of Hamas’ 27th anniversary, Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar proclaimed that his organization would take over the West Bank “just as we liberated Gaza,” according to a translation of the speech published yesterday by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). Speaking at a December 12...

Bilateral nuclear talks between Iranian and American diplomats continued in Geneva Tuesday ahead of the resumption of P5+1 talks later this week, amid concerns that Western leverage in talks has steadily eroded following last month’s extension of nuclear negotiations. Observers have for months expressed concerns that Iran’s cheating had strengthened...

The European Union still considers Hamas to be a terrorist organization, a spokeswoman for the EU said today. The clarification follows yesterday’s ruling by the EU’s second-highest court that Hamas’ designation as a terror group in 2001 did not follow the proper procedures. The statement was reported by Agence France-Presse. “The...

A huge majority (70%) of Palestinians say they are afraid to criticize their president, Mahmoud Abbas, according to a poll (Arabic link) published last week by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research. Only 30 percent said that they are not afraid to criticize the Palestinian Authority in the...

Prof. Zvi Bentwich has received a Grand Challenges in Global Health grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for his project in Ethiopia to wipe out parasitic worm infections. Bentwich, 78, is a longtime member of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev’s department of microbiology, immunology and genetics, and heads...