A diplomatic spat between Ankara and the European Union expanded on Monday, after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed European criticism over a wave of arrests of media figures this weekend, which saw more than two dozen journalists around the country detained. Among the news outlets affected was Zaman, Turkey’s...

In a profile published today of former Associated Press (AP) reporter Mark Lavie, the veteran journalist admitted that the “‘The Media’s’ response to Israel does not tolerate the truth if it is good.” Now retired after a 40-year career at NPR, NBC, the CBC and the AP, Lavie has become a critic of reporting generally and...

Increasingly concerned for their safety, Turkey’s Jews are fleeing the country in greater numbers, according to a story today in Hurriyet Daily News, a Turkish newspaper. Citing a recent column in the Turkish-Jewish publication Salom by community leader Mois Gabay, Hurriyet reports: “We face threats, attacks and harassment every day. Hope is fading. Is...

Four Palestinian men and a woman who was planning to fake a pregnancy in order to carry out a suicide bombing were arrested for planning terror attacks, Israel’s internal security agency, the Shin Bet, announced yesterday according to a report in The Times of Israel. Five suspects hailing from Jenin...

The Palestinian Authority decided on Sunday to continue its security cooperation with Israel, inflaming tensions between Fatah and its rivals Hamas and Islamic Jihad, both of which demand a stop to the coordination. The decision was made despite calls to halt security ties with Israel following the death of Palestinian...

The recent Israeli natural gas finds could facilitate better ties between the Jewish state and “with energy-hungry Egypt, Jordan and even the Palestinian Authority,” according to a report Monday in The New York Times: While Israel’s gas consumption is growing fast, the domestic market is not large enough to fully...

A two-headed salamander tadpole has Israeli scientists scratching their heads about the deformity. Researchers at the University of Haifa found the mutant tadpole in the Community Ecology Lab. The salamander of Israel is an endangered species, mainly due to factors which have disturbed its habitat such as soil and water...

Hamas celebrated the 27th anniversary of its founding with a military parade (Arabic link) yesterday, showing off its arsenal of weapons and the burning of a Jew in effigy. In addition, Hamas took the opportunity to launch a new psychological warfare attack against Israel, releasing footage it claims is of Mohammed Deif,...

Expecting an end to sanctions, Iranian manufacturers are preparing to open for business with the West, according to a report Friday in The New York Times. The article highlights Iran’s national car manufacturer, Iran Khodro, in which an impressive number of Western companies are reportedly showing interest. Even though sanctions...

A critical bill that Congress passed late last week ahead of its winter recess contains a rider that would give Congress increased oversight over talks with Iran as the Islamic Republic continues to negotiate with the P5+1 powers over its nuclear program. The rider, attached to the Omnibus Appropriations Bill for...