All Middle East
In Israel, Women of the Wall hit raw nerve over religious clout in state lifeToday, Israel's Women of the Wall went to the Western Wall to pray for the first time since a court said they could worship there without fear of arrest. But they met plenty of opposition.
Boycott of Israel is small for now, but gets higher profile with HawkingMany celebrities have ignored boycott appeals, such as Elton John, Lady Gaga, Madonna, and Paul McCartney. Some academics say that the impact of the movement has been overstated.
Former Palestinian fighter now battles for a middle pathPalestinian Mohammed Dajani, a former Fatah fighter from a prominent Jerusalem family, has become a vocal advocate for pragmatism and peace.
Notorious Egyptian terror group tries to carve a nonviolent path in politicsAl Gamaa al-Islamiya, which waged a deadly campaign of terror against the government for decades, says it has renounced violence and wants a spot in Egypt's fledgling democracy.
Israeli airstrike in Syria brings Iran onstage, raising risk of proxy warIran dismissed Israeli claims that yesterday's airstrike in Syria targeted Iranian weapons destined for Hezbollah, accusing Israel of looking for an excuse to hammer the 'Axis of Resistance.'
Saudi Arabia sanctions sports for girls for the first timeThe move only applies to private schools, perhaps as a test of social receptivity before a possible expansion to public schools. But it's still worth cheering for.
Israeli attacks inside Syria risk widening warIsrael, as well as Syria and its Lebanese-ally Hezbollah, has little interest in a wider conflict. But as Israel grows more assertive across its borders, the chance of a miscalculation is on the rise.
Middle East nomads, lost in translationThe language barrier makes it hard for non-Arab tourists to understand the Bedouin lifestyle, but Abdullah Zhaeka's English and Hebrew skills are bridging the gap.
In Middle East, public rejects arming Syrian rebels: pollA Pew Center poll found that large majorities worry that an influx of arms – from Western or Arab sources – will increase violence and instability in the region.
Emboldened by military gains, Assad regime shows resilienceSyrian President Assad has frustrated predictions of his imminent downfall for more than two years. A string of recent Army successes has rolled back some rebel gains and disrupted rebel plans.
A shortage of water, but not hospitality, in the West Bank's fieldsAbu Elias, a Jericho farmer, cultivates cucumbers, eggplants, ingenuity, and a good sense of humor.
With air strike on Gaza, Israel tells Hamas 'get it together'Israel's deadly strike today was a warning to Hamas to rein in more extreme militants, like the Salafist group that is firing rockets into Israel. Hamas is already on it.
- Iraqi government takes 10 TV stations off the air for 'incitement'
Iraqi authorities accused the stations of stoking conflict with their coverage of a violent Army crackdown on an antigovernment sit-in. Some see a worrying crackdown on free speech.
Kerry makes headway with Middle East peace, but violence flaresSecretary of State John Kerry got an important boost yesterday when the Arab League agreed to soften the terms of their Middle East peace proposal.
How an obscure council became Egypt's decisionmakerWhen Egypt's lower house was dissolved, the advisory upper house gained sweeping legislative power. But only 10 percent of Egyptians bothered to vote for it.
Israeli first responder searches for the good among Sderot's rocket-pocked streetsOne would expect Israeli Judith Bar-Hay to be angry after working for years in Sderot, which has been hit with more than 7,000 Palestinian rockets. She says that helping others keeps her sane.
Syrian regime's core supporters begin to drift awaySupport for Assad among the Alawites, a religious minority, is waning. But sectarian hostilities and increasing religiosity make Alawites hesitant to join the opposition.
- What's in the Internet videos posted by Tamerlan Tsarnaev?
The videos do not show ties to any specific group, but do hint at a deeper yearning in the alleged Boston Marathon bomber for a heroic jihadi persona.
Dancing around the conflict in RamallahShyrine Ziadeh dreamed of studying ballet abroad, but once she realized how much she could help talented girls in Ramallah, she put aside that dream and opened her own studio.
Israel shoots down drone, Hezbollah denies it's theirsThe Shiite militant group in Lebanon has sent drones over Israel in the past, linking their use to Israeli violations of Lebanon's airspace.
