Middle East

World News

Turkey's Jets Fire On Syrian Kurds Allied With U.S. Against ISIS

9:44am October 27, 2015

by Bill Chappell

Saying a Kurdish militia group in Syria crossed into an off-limits area, Turkey acknowledges attacking the PYD, which has been a U.S. ally in the fight against ISIS.

World News

Doctor Recounts Airstrikes Against His Hospital In Syria

4:29am October 27, 2015

Russia has been accused of hitting a hospital in the Syrian province of Idlib. Dr. Mohamed Tennari of the Syrian American Medical Society says his hospital has already been hit 18 times by the regime.

World News

Calls For A Safe Zone In Syria Raise Concern For Refugees

2:34pm October 26, 2015

by Peter Kenyon

The White House and Pentagon resist calls for a defended "safe zone" inside Syria. Migrants in Turkey have their own worry: What if a safe zone became a place to put refugees?

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Tracking Violence In Jerusalem: Here's What's On The Table

5:35am October 26, 2015

Secretary of State John Kerry met with Palestinian and Jordanian leaders over the weekend. NPR's Emily Harris talks to Steve Inskeep about the unrest in Jerusalem and what's been proposed.

Fatmeh (left) fled Syria with her family and now lives in Lebanon, where she works in the fields instead of attending school.

The Story That Made Our Interpreter Cry: #15Girls

4:36pm October 25, 2015

by Marc Silver

It's a tough life for many of the Syrian kids who are now refugees in Lebanon: working in the fields up to 14 hours a day instead of going to school.

With Help From Kerry, Israel And Jordan Reach A Deal To Quell Violence

6:50pm October 24, 2015

by Michele Kelemen

Secretary of State John Kerry has helped forge an agreement between Israel and Jordan, in an effort to defuse violence between Israelis and Palestinians over the past few weeks.

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Mishael Zion is the father of two students at Eitan School in Jerusalem. After a recent attack on a public bus near the school, some parents wanted to bar the Arab cleaning lady from the school when students were there. But Zion objected and said she shou

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Israeli Parents Ask: Should We Dismiss The Arab Cleaner At School?

8:44am October 24, 2015

by Daniel Estrin

In response to recent attacks, some Israeli schools have banned Palestinian janitors. One Jerusalem school had lengthy discussions and then took a vote.

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World News

John Kerry's Latest Stop In Mideast Diplomacy

8:23am October 24, 2015

by Michele Kelemen

John Kerry keeps plugging away at two intractable conflicts — Israel/Palestine and Syria. His latest diplomacy takes him to Amman, Jordan.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Berlin on Thursday. The Israeli leader has accused Palestinian officials, including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, of incitement and says it has contributed to violence against Israelis.

World News

Israel, Palestinians Both Link Violence To Inflammatory Speech

7:26pm October 23, 2015

by Emily Harris

The war of words is at a fevered pitch between Israeli and Palestinians. Each side accuses the other of spreading false stories to turn up the heat.

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Kobi Tzafrir serves hummus at the Humus Bar, his restaurant north of Tel Aviv, Israel. "If you eat a good hummus, you will feel love from the person who made it," he tells The Salt. "You don't want to stab him."

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Hummus Diplomacy: Israeli Cafe Discounts Meals Shared By Jews And Arabs

7:01pm October 23, 2015

by Daniella Cheslow

During a month of renewed Israeli-Palestinian violence, one hummus restaurant is paying Jews and Arabs to sit down together for a meal. We drop in on the cafe to witness culinary diplomacy in action.