NEWS:

Palestinian and Israeli negotiators meet again for another round of talks, and will hold more soon, but agreement seems far away. (AFP/Ha'aretz/Jerusalem Post/Xinhua)

Security and sovereignty are key issues for both Israelis and Palestinians. (USA Today)

The CSM looks at Israeli public opinion on compromises with Palestinians on various issues. (Christian Science Monitor)

Egypt closes the Gaza crossing point indefinitely. (Xinhua/Times of Israel)

Israeli-Egyptian security cooperation has quietly intensified. (AP)

Jordan's Prince Hassan insists the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a regional issue. (Times of Israel)

US House Majority Leader Cantor says only a Palestinian "mind-shift" can bring about peace. (Jerusalem Post)

Hezbollah's leader says his group was responsible for attacking Israeli soldiers last week andpromises to attack any who cross into Lebanon. (AP/AFP)

Hamas continues its efforts to restore ties with Iran. (The Media Line)

The EU and Israel begin talks about the future of a research program, given the new occupation guidelines. (AP)

Israel has an existing agreement with the United States dating from 1972 that closely mirrors the new EU occupation guidelines. (Ha'aretz)

Israeli settler leaders vow they will never leave the occupied territories no matter what the Israeli government says. (Foreign Policy)

Israel is hiring university students to defend it online and in social media. (AP)

The PA demands DNA testing on unidentified bodies returned by Israel. (Ma'an/Xinhua)

15,000 Bedouin citizens of Israel are awaiting home demolitions after a court rejects their appeal. (Ma'an)

An Arab bus driver is beaten by passengers in northern Israel. (Ha'aretz)

A Russian company is set to invest $30 million in a new building in Bethlehem. (Ma'an)

An Israeli police officer is dismissed for arresting a social activist and calling her "a retarded leftist."(Ha'aretz)

Fatah leaders confirm a new government will be formed in coming weeks but will not involve reconciliation with Hamas. (Ma'an)

Hamas insists its recent closure of media offices is "temporary." (Ma'an)


COMMENTARY:

The Forward says it is baffled by Israel's spate of new settlement announcements. (The Forward)

Elias Harfoush says Pres. Abbas agreed to go back to negotiations to put the Palestinian issue back on the international map. (Al Hayat)

Roy Isacowitz says the occupation makes a mockery of Israel's claims of being both "Jewish" and "democratic." (Ha'aretz)

Shmuel Rosner says Israel shouldn't cooperate with the new EU occupation guidelines. (New York Times)

Hussein Ibish looks at the dynamic of anti-American rhetoric in contemporary Arab political discourse. (Ibishblog)

Abdulateef Al-Mulhim says it's time to give Israeli-Palestinian peace a chance to succeed. (Arab News)

David Harris further explains why he thinks everyone ought to give peace a chance. (Huffington Post)

National Geographic Explorer interviews Aziz Abu Sarah about the peace process. (National Geographic Explorer)

Alan Elsner says the outcome of the peace process mostly depends on the mindset of PM Netanyahu. (Reuters)

Gershon Baskin says a compromise on Jerusalem is the key to peace with the Palestinians. (Jerusalem Post)

J.J. Goldberg says peace talks are proceeding with even less goodwill than one might have anticipated. (The Forward)

Yossi Melman outlines Israel's concerns about unrest in Egypt. (Jerusalem Post)

Mazal Mualem says Israeli ultra-Orthodox parties are abandoning the settler movement. (Al Monitor)