In 2008, the charade of US-backed Palestinian-Israeli peace talks was only surpassed in bitterness by the horror inflicted on Gaza by Israel and its backers, writes Khaled Amayreh in occupied East Jerusalem

On the Palestinian scene, 2008 was nothing short of catastrophic, Egypt often caught in the middle, writes Samir Ghattas

For Al-Maliki to be hailed as a great leader he must do more, writes Saif Nasrawi

Iran may have dodged Bush's sabre-rattling, but it is not entirely out of the woods yet, writes Mustafa El-Labbad

Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan's political honeymoon finally came to an end this year, writes Gareth Jenkins

Divisions and entrenched identities continued to plague Lebanon in 2008, writes Hanady Salman

In the first half of 2008, Syria was threatened with sanctions and isolation. But with a little help from France, and a few policy changes, the year ended on a better note, Bassel Oudat writes from Damascus

Obama needs help and the Arabs can make gains if only they can get their act together, writes Hassan Nafaa

Why the worst of times in Africa can also be the best of times, concludes Gamal Nkrumah

Without justification, Israel kills, writes Saleh Al-Naami

Mustafa Barghouti cuts down the myths Israel spins in the media to justify its most recent campaign of slaughter

President Mubarak strongly condemns the Israeli aggression against Gaza and reiterates Egypt's full backing for the Palestinian cause

What does it take to unite against the invasion, asks Khaled Amayreh in Ramallah

Hamas provoked Israel and received the response it wished for, argues Emad Gad

Egypt is prioritising an immediate ceasefire in Gaza while struggling, still, with the issue of the Rafah crossing, Dina Ezzat reports

The current uproar in Arab streets might not be of any direct help to Gazans but it draws battle lines between the masses and their regimes, notes Sherine Bahaa

With Israel launching a brutal attack against Gaza, fear in Lebanon has mounted that a military confrontation will be triggered along the country's southern border, Raed Rafei reports