Economic reform is key to the future of a region which needs to diversify away from dependency on oil, or a reliance on international funding. There has been both resistance and progress so far.
Bahrain's oil sector is relatively small for the Gulf. So, the kingdom has been an early adopter of economic diversification and has harnessed the advantage of a well-developed education sector.
Israel's commandeering of aid distribution in Gaza forces starving Palestinians to run the gauntlet at centres with biometric monitoring systems, armed security, and life-or-death hazards