Zvi Bar'el

Kurds in northern Syria hope to set up an independent region along the lines of Iraqi Kurdistan, a senior figure in the Syrian Kurdish opposition tells Haaretz.

The ongoing political realignment in the region is throwing up some surprising potential partnerships.

Despite the positive spin of most news stories showcasing economic growth in Ramallah, the Palestinian economy has hit a tight spot and is about to plunge.

The Brotherhood's rule in Egypt is a chance for Hamas to break Israel's blockade policy. But not without paying a political price.

King Abdullah names Prince Bandar, director general of the Saudi Intelligence Agency, on top of his post as secretary-general of the National Security Council.

More than dealing a military blow to Assad, the assassination of senior defense officials, all members of Assad's Committee for Managing the Crisis, was a blow to the regime's morale.

In Lebanon, it's chaos as usual: Sunnis are protesting against Hezbollah's arsenal and Assad's regime next door, in what some observers say may spill over into an uprising against the Shi'ite militia

Russia apparently decided to make another contribution to its standing in the international community by announcing it would halt the deal to sell Syria the S-300 missile.

Raw materials are short, unemployment is raging and inflation has soared - but there have been no signs of civil revolt

The Muslim Brotherhood has won the presidency and nearly half the seats in the Egyptian parliament, but it will still have to tread lightly with its domestic and foreign policies.

As the battle continues between fragmented rebel forces and a weakening Syrian army, the West is realizing it can no longer stand idly by.

While it will likely continue to be intensely critical of Israel over the Palestinian issue, the Muslim Brotherhood could turn out to be a de facto ally in other areas.

Egypt, regardless of its president, will continue to be a state of institutions that balance each other out.

Senior Turkish Foreign Ministry official says killing of nine Turkish nationals could have been prevented, demands Israel apologize, offer compensation and lift Gaza blockade.

The trial soon resumes of a journalist accused of belonging to a group trying to overthrow Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government. When it comes to maintaining freedom of speech, Turkey is among Europe's worst.

The critical question, which might be the reason Russia is in no hurry to push Assad out, is to whom exactly will Assad hand over the reins?

The West assumes the supreme leader makes every decision himself, and since he's guided by ideology and religion, internal politics is of little relevance. That assumption is wrong.

It is not enough for the Egyptian public to have their president put to trial; they want to see him dead.

The Americans once took the initiative in seeking talks on Iran's nuclear program. Now Ahmadinejad seems to be lowering the rejection threshold.

Though there is no lack of denunciations of the attack that killed over 100 people near Homs, the international community faces significant hurdles in its bid to stop the carnage.

The protest movements will encounter a terrible dilemma: electing Mubarak's former PM and thereby returning to the previous regime, or choosing Mohamed Morsi, which means coming under complete control of the Muslim Brotherhood.

One of several lawyers representing 465 victims and victims' relatives of the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid says Israel made proposal to him through an intermediary foreign ambassador a month ago.

Four officers accused of ordering the raid on the Mavi Marmara, in which nine Turks were killed.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces created a storm when it supported amendments to the constitution that would limit presidential and parliamentary powers in controlling the military budget.

Egypt's parliament is no longer a rubber stamp, but a powerful body that can decide the country's foreign policy, while striving to subject the military to its supervision.