News:

The PLO says existing policy negotiators will continue to "oversee the talks" until a new team is formed. (Ma'an)

Gaza's streets are flooded with rainwater and sewage, and electricity is running low. (New York Times)

USAID is reportedly halting key aid programs in Gaza. (Al Monitor)

Islamic Jihad warns the Gaza ceasefire could come to an end, citing Israeli "violations." (Ma'an)

Palestinian anti-corruption officials say complaints quintupled in 2013. (Ma'an)

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics says at least 100,000 Palestinians from the occupied territories work in Israel. (Ma'an)

An Israeli soldier is arrested for suspected "price tag" vigilante attacks. (Xinhua)

Some Israeli settlers routinely reach out to pro-Palestinian tour groups in the occupied territories. (Christian Science Monitor)

UNSG Ban appoints Pierre Krähenbühl to be the new Commissioner-General of UNRWA. (Ma'an)

Jibril Rajoub reportedly suggests the "fool" former Pres. Bush" colluded what he alleges was Israel's assassination of the late Pres. Arafat. (Times of Israel)

Sec. Kerry is taking innovative approaches to a range of long-standing, tough problems. (New York Times)

Observers think an interim deal with Iran might be nearing as new talks begin. (New York Times)

Iran says difficult differences remain to be overcome. (AP)

Iran is demanding the removal of oil and banking sanctions in even a short-term deal. (Xinhua)

The US assures its allies of "caution" as new talks begin, while Iran insists it won't back down. (Los Angeles Times)

Israeli officials say they are "frustrated" not to be familiar with any details about the talks. (YNet)

Iran holds a military drill near the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz. (AP)

Israel and Gulf states appear to be forming a "strange" alliance against Iran. (AP)

Syrians continue to flood into Lebanon, fleeing the conflict in their country. (AP/BBC/The National)

Palestinian refugees fleeing Syria face terrible difficulties in Egypt and Lebanon. (Reuters/Huffington Post)

Seven are killed in a mortar attack in the Syrian city of Homs. (Xinhua)

An Iraqi Shiite militia says it has fired six mortar rounds into Saudi Arabia as a warning against "interference." (Reuters)

Kuwait's national airline resumes Iraq flights in another sign of continuing improved relations. (Reuters)

An Egyptian police officer is killed in an operation to arrest wanted militants. (Reuters)

Egyptian army chief Sisi does not rule out a presidential bid. (Reuters)

A truck bomb kills 27 people at an outdoor market in northeast Iraq. (AP)

Commentary:

Mohammed Dajani Daoudi explains the importance of teaching the Holocaust in Palestine. (Sharnoff's Global Views)

The ICG looks at Israel's "national religious groups" and the future of the conflict. (International Crisis Group)

Hazem Balousha says Palestinians in Gaza are distinctly unimpressed with Hamas' military parades. (Al Monitor)

Michael Oren tries to explain PM Netanyahu's hard-line policies. (Los Angeles Times)

Shlomi Eldar says the Israeli public is generally standing with Netanyahu on the question of Iran. (Al Monitor)

George Hishmeh says on both Iran and Israel, major "serious arm-twisting by the major powers" is required. (Gulf News)

Carlo Strenger says "Netanyahu is paying a steep price for fanning fear and hatred." (Ha'aretz)

Zvi Bar'el says Israeli society is hiding the occupation behind euphemisms and doublespeak. (Ha'aretz)

Salman Masalha says Israelis are yearning for a "Palestinian Ben-Gurion" because they can't have another of their own. (Ha'aretz)

Amira Hass notes that in the tally of violence throughout the decades, Palestinians have paid a much steeper price than Israelis. (Ha'aretz)

Ronald Lauder says both Palestinian and Jewish refugee claims must be redressed. (JTA)

David Ignatius says Egyptians are making a good-faith effort to really try to build a democracy. (Washington Post)

Michael Weiss profiles Russian mercenaries in Syria. (Foreign Policy)

Ghassan Charbel says, because of the Syrian conflict, Lebanon has never been so divided and its future is threatened. (Al Hayat)

Abdullah Iskandar says terrorism in Lebanon doesn't help the Syrian opposition, it helps the Damascus dictatorship. (Al Hayat)

The Daily Star says, unfortunately, the Lebanese can't expect their elected officials to prevent more such bombings. (The Daily Star)

Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid worries Beirut could turn into another Baghdad. (Arab News)

FM Zarif says Iran's neighbors are its priority. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Diana Moukalled says Hezbollah is scared of satire. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Omar Alvi says Ennahda finds itself at a crossroads in Tunisian politics which will determine its future. (The Daily Star)

News:

UN political chief Feltman says peace talks are "at a delicate moment," and settlement construction is particularly damaging the process. (Xinhua/AP)l

Israel's newly reinstated FM Lieberman says Palestinians can't achieve peace in the foreseeable future. (Ha'aretz)

Lieberman also says it's time for Israel to look for other allies than the United States. (Jerusalem Post)

Israeli warplanes strike three targets in Gaza after a rocket was launched into southern Israel. (Xinhua)

Israeli forces detain 25 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. (Ma'an)

Palestinians say dozens were injured in clashes with Israeli occupation forces near Jenin. (PNN)

A Bedouin village asks an Israeli court to halt the planned demolition of their town. (Ha'aretz)

Egypt again closes the Gaza crossing due to computer glitches, after the first aid convoy since the overthrow of former Pres. Morsi passes through it. (Ma'an)

UNRWA says almost all Gaza projects are halted due to Israeli restrictions. (Times of Israel)

Israeli occupation forces demolish a water tank and agricultural structure near Nablus. (Ma'an)

Some Israelis are pushing for the formal implementation of unilaterally declared new borders with the Palestinians. (New York Times)

Brandeis University suspends its partnership with Al-Quds University after some students stage a Nazi-style protest there. (JTA)

Al-Quds University head Sari Nusseibeh condemns the demonstration and says he hopes Brandeis will reconsider. (Times of Israel)
 
Israel says it has successfully tested a new missile defense system. (AP)

Two Israeli soldiers are wounded when they accidentally explode a device near the Lebanese border. (Ha'aretz)

Hamas allows Al-Arabiya news to reopen its bureau in Gaza. (Xinhua)

The Forward profiles a Chicago Rabbi, Brant Rosen, who is a strong critic of Israel's policies. (The Forward)

PM Netanyahu visits Russia to lobby against a pending potential agreement with Iran. (Reuters/Xinhua)

Russia says it's optimistic about a deal with Iran. (Reuters)

France says recent comments by Iranian leaders complicate the prospects for a nuclear agreement. (AP/Times of Israel)

Iran supreme leader says Israel is "doomed to destruction." (YNet)

Iran proposes new language on some delicate issues in the nuclear talks. (Los Angeles Times)

10 Egyptian soldiers are killed by militants in the Sinai Peninsula. (New York Times/AP)

Israel denies any involvement in the bomb attack on the Iranian Embassy in Beirut. (Xinhua)

The bomb attack in Beirut appears to signal a new phase of spillover from the Syrian conflict into Lebanon. (New York Times)

Suicide bombers attack Syrian troops in the battle for the strategically crucial Qalamoun mountains. (AP)

The United States is considering destroying Syria's chemical weapons at sea. (New York Times)

At least 37 people are killed in another wave of deadly attacks in Iraq. (New York Times/AP/BBC)

Libyans stage another day of protests against abusive, uncontrolled militias. (AP)

Commentary:

Gilead Sher says Israel should begin planning West Bank evacuations now rather than wait for the inevitable. (Ha'aretz)

Omar Shaban asks what's needed to solve Gaza's electricity crisis. (Al Monitor)

Tamim Khallaf says the challenge facing the Arab world now is narrowing the gap between rulers and the governed. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Hazem Saghieh says, if France really is trying to step into a vacuum left by the US, it's just doing what Arabs have called for. (Al Hayat)

Ben Caspit says Israel, Egypt and the Gulf states all fear American "betrayal." (Al Monitor)

Michael Doran says US relations with its Middle East allies are in "free fall." (Brookings)

Elias Harfoush says Pres. Hollande could have obtained concessions from Israel on the occupation during his recent trip, but failed. (Al Hayat)

Amos Harel says with Hezbollah fighting in Syria, the Beirut bombing shows Lebanon pays the price. (Ha'aretz)

Joyce Karam says the demon of suicide bombing has finally arrived in Lebanon. (Al Arabiya)

An anonymous author asks if the embassy bombing means the Iraqi model is coming to Lebanon. (Al Monitor)

The Daily Star says only Lebanese unity can prevent the country's disintegration into anarchy. (The Daily Star)

Mitch Ginsburg asks what the real target of the Beirut bombing was. (Times of Israel)

Thomas Friedman says the US should do everything possible to achieve a reasonable nuclear agreement with Iran. (New York Times)

Zvi Bar'el says Iran is in dire need of a nuclear deal with the P5+1. (Ha'aretz)

James Reynolds looks at the prospects for a nuclear deal with Iran. (BBC)

David Horovitz says, even if unsure of US backing, Israel will strike Iran if it feels compelled to. (Times of Israel)

Efraim Halevy says Israel should be involved in every negotiation that affects its future. (YNet)

Rami Khouri says the new book, "The Syria Dilemma," helps explain the conflict from different points of view. (The Daily Star)

Osama Al Sharif says Libya is turning into a failed state. (Jordan Times)

Hussein Ibish asks if the Libyan people's uprising against militias can possibly succeed. (NOW)

Richard Spencer looks at the growing insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula. (Daily Telegraph)

Ranj Alaaldin says stability is the key to a Kurdish future of prosperity. (The National)

Elizabeth Dickinson says Kuwait's opposition is down, but not out. (Foreign Policy)

News:

Palestine cast its first vote in the UN General Assembly. (AFP/Times of Israel)

Pres. Hollande calls on Israel to fully and completely halt settlement construction. (Xinhua/AFP)

Hollande also says Jerusalem should be the capital of both Israel and a Palestinian state. (VOA)

Israel's High Court orders the state to demolish settlement outpost homes built on private Palestinian property. (Jerusalem Post)

PM Netanyahu urges Pres. Abbas to address the Knesset in Jerusalem. (AFP/Times of Israel)

Heavy rainfall means Gaza's streets are now flooded with water and sewage. (Al Monitor)

A militant and four others are killed in an "accidental explosion" in Gaza. (Ma'an)

Israeli guards wound nine Palestinian prisoners in Ashkelon prison. (Ma'an)

Settlers torch two Palestinian cars and attack homes near Nablus. (Ma'an)

Palestinians set animal traps on their lands to deter settler attacks. (Ma'an)

Students at a Jerusalem yeshiva are suspected in a string of violent attacks against Palestinians and other Israelis. (Ha'aretz)

Palestinians and Israelis open a commercial dispute arbitration center in Jerusalem. (The Media Line)

Palestinian journalists say freedom of speech is under increasing pressure from the PA. (The Media Line)

David Makovsky of WINEP joins the State Department Israeli-Palestinian peace team. (JTA)

Divisions over Iran continue to strain US-Israel relations. (New York Times)

Sec. Kerry says Israel "has every right" to its own opinions about Iran and any agreement with it. (AP)

Kerry says nothing the United States is contemplating regarding Iran puts Israel at any risk. (Ha'aretz)

Netanyahu claims Iran already has enough low-grade enriched uranium for five nuclear bombs. (Jerusalem Post)

Two simultaneous bomb attacks at the Iranian Embassy in Beirut kill at least 23. (New York Times/AP)

Officials say footage shows a suicide bomber and a car bomb were involved in the explosions. (Reuters)

The Iranian cultural attaché to Lebanon is reported to be among the casualties. (Reuters/Xinhua)

Iran blames Israel for the attack on its Beirut embassy. (Times of Israel)

Syrian government forces claim to recapture a key strategic town near the Lebanese border. (AP)

Four people are killed in a mortar attack on Aleppo's municipal building. (Xinhua)

Iranian parliamentarians move to block concessions to the P5+1 on nuclear issues. (AP)

Libya's military seeks to regain control of the capital, Tripoli, from militias. (AP)


Commentary:

Yara Dowani describes the ordeal for Palestinians passing through the notorious Kalandia checkpoint. (Jerusalem Post)

J.J. Goldberg says Israel can learn from a year of relative calm with Gaza. (The Forward)

Jane Eisner looks at Ari Shavit's new book on Israel's past and future. (The Forward)

Aaron Magid says Likud is becoming a party committed to apartheid. (The Daily Star)

Barak Ravid says Israel may well come French support but it should remember it's not the US. (Ha'aretz)

Shimon Shiffer looks at the dramatic historical ebb and flow of French-Israeli relations. (YNet)

Avigdor Haselkorn says Netanyahu has panicked and miscalculated regarding Iran. (Jerusalem Post)

The Washington Post says the US and Israel need to agree on the terms of an Iran deal. (Washington Post)

Daniel Drezner says Israel's stance on Iranian nuclear negotiations is incomprehensible. (Foreign Policy)

Robert Satloff says the US and Israel are experiencing their deepest rift in living memory. (Politico)

Emily Landau says the P5+1 shouldn't underestimate its leverage over Iran during negotiations. (Ha'aretz)

Roger Cohen says the unfolding US withdrawal from global leadership is leaving a dangerous vacuum. (New York Times)

Hassan Barari says Israel may be the big loser if the US role in the Middle East decreases. (Jordan Times)

The Daily Star says the battle for Qalamoun, which is now engaged, may prove decisive for both Syria and Lebanon. (The Daily Star)

Faisal Al Yafai says a "deal with the devil" may be necessary to save Syria from an inferno. (The National)

Amberin Zaman says Turkey is backing away from its support of Islamist rebels in Syria. (Al Monitor)

Sherzad Shekhani looks at what the future may hold for Syria's Kurds. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Jeremy Bowen says Libyans are yearning for law and order. (BBC)

Harith Hasan says Iraq's 2014 election will be a referendum on PM al-Maliki. (Al Monitor)

Marian Houk looks at the ongoing controversy over the death of the late Pres. Arafat. (+972)

News:

Pres. Abbas formally rejects offers of resignation from his negotiators. (Xinhua)

Palestinian negotiators say peace talks are on hold for the next two weeks. (Xinhua)

Abbas confirms peace talks will run their full course. (AFP)

PM Netanyahu says Sec. Kerry will visit Israel next Friday. (AFP)

Abbas continues to press for an international investigation into the death of the late Pres. Arafat. (Xinhua)

Israeli occupation forces raid Abu Dis and al-Quds University, injuring 40. (Ma'an)

Hamas accuses Egypt of tightening the Gaza blockade. (Xinhua)

Egypt says it will reopen the Gaza crossing for three days, beginning on Tuesday. (Ma'an)

Five people are injured in an explosion near Gaza City. (Ma'an)

Israeli occupation forces intend to displace a Palestinian community near Hebron. (Ma'an)

Israel is continuing to block one of its officials from testifying in an American antiterrorism case. (AP)

Israel has been secretly holding an Al Qaeda suspect for over three years. (Reuters/Ha'aretz/Times of Israel)g

In a visit to Israel, the French president vows to keep up a tough stance on Iran. (AP)

France is becoming more assertive internationally, in the Middle East and elsewhere. (AFP)

31 Syrian soldiers are killed in a rebel bomb attack. (New York Times)

A senior Islamist rebel commander is killed in fighting in Syria. (Reuters)

At least 44 people are killed in a series of attacks in Iraq. (New York Times)

Dozens are killed in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, as militias open fire on protesters. (New York Times)

Libya's deputy intelligence chief is kidnapped. (Reuters)

A senior Egyptian police officer is killed by unknown assailants in Cairo. (Reuters/AP)

Islamists in Egypt call for a national dialogue. (AP)

Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef is leaving his TV company after the suspension of his program. (AP)

Egyptian Coptic Christians fear for their future. (AP/Christian Science Monitor)
 

Commentary:

Gershon Baskin says the two-state solution will persist even if current peace talks fail. (Jerusalem Post)

Yitzhak Laor says any prolonged occupation inevitably leads to a violent backlash. (Ha'aretz)

Saree Makdisi says Israel is pursuing a policy of "erasure" against Palestinian communities. (Los Angeles Times)

Oudeh Basharat says Palestinian citizens of Israel are exiles in their own country. (Ha'aretz)

Ha'aretz says pending Israeli legislation to benefit veterans would discriminate against Arab citizens. (Ha'aretz)

Thomas Friedman says a new book by Ari Shavit perfectly explains the dilemmas facing Israel. (New York Times)

Kathleen Peratis says the people of Gaza are suffering under Israel, Egypt and Hamas. (The Forward)

David Ignatius says US officials fear Israeli pressure for a perfect deal with Iran could kill a good one. (Washington Post)

Ari Varon says Israel should embrace France as a key ally. (Ha'aretz)

Nahum Barnea says declining American power is becoming obvious in the Middle East. (YNet)

Abdullah Iskandar laments "American regression and Arab weakness." (Al Hayat)

Hassan Barari says, while Russia can't replace it, the US role is definitely declining in the Middle East. (Arab News)

Yaron Friedman says US policy towards Iran is driving Israel and Saudi Arabia to see each other as allies. (YNet)

Ammar Ali Hassan looks at the possibility the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood might turn to terrorism. (Al Hayat/Al Monitor)

Asharq Al-Awsat Interviews Christopher Chivvis of the RAND Corporation on post-Gaddafi Libya. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Hussein Ibish looks at new developments in Turkey's relations with the Kurds. (The National)

Mostafa Zein says Kurds should be careful not to be manipulated by Turkey. (Al Hayat)
 

News:

The killing of an Israeli soldier by a Palestinian teenager deepens tensions. (New York Times)

Israeli extremists burn a Palestinian home in the occupied West Bank. (AP/Xinhua/Ma'an)

Israeli forces shoot and wound a Palestinian farmer in Gaza. (Xinhua)

Two mortar shells are fired from Gaza into southern Israel. (Xinhua)

Four more Palestinian refugees are killed in Syria in fierce clashes in a major refugee camp. (Ma'an/The Media Line)

A Palestinian NGO accuses Hamas of torturing Palestinian prisoners. (YNet)

The one-year anniversary of the last major Israeli attack on Gaza brings Israel little joy, but iscelebrated by Hamas. (AP/Xinhua/BBC)

Palestinians in Gaza fear the potential of another war. (Ma'an)

Centrist politicians in Israel slam the Jewish Home party for allegedly trying to sabotage peace talks. (Xinhua)

Palestinian negotiators yet again offer their resignations over planned Israeli settlement activity. (AFP/Reuters)

Palestinians say negotiations will continue regardless. (Ha'aretz)

Palestine obtains full membership status in the International Association of Deposit Insurers. (PNN)

Israel wants more Palestinian women citizens of the state to have jobs. (Christian Science Monitor)

Unmarried couples are breaking social conventions in Gaza. (Al Monitor)

The CIA declassifies its intelligence information on the Egypt-Israel Camp David peace negotiations. (AP)

Egypt insists it is not replacing Russia for the US as its main ally. (AP)

Egypt says it will end its state of emergency on Thursday. (Xinhua)

A suicide bomber kills 41 Iraqi Shiites during a religious ritual. (AP)

Hezbollah's leader says the group will continue to fight in Syria. (AP/Reuters)

Rivalries between different commanders are spelling defeat for the Free Syrian Army. (The National)

Kurds in Syria are making major strides towards wide-ranging autonomy. (Christian Science Monitor)

Qatar may be considering altering its foreign policy after a string of major setbacks. (Washington Post)

Commentary:

Hamid Alkifaey says ATFP can serve as a model for genuinely effective Arab-American political engagement. (Al Hayat)

Hussein Ibish and Robert Satloff debate the role of the US in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. (PBS NewsHour)

Talal Alyan says Palestinians and their supporters need to stop calling each other traitors and collaborators. (+972)

Akiva Eldar says the Israeli government is determined to "Israelize" occupied East Jerusalem. (Al Monitor)

The Daily Star says the West must take stronger action against Israel's settlement activities. (The Daily Star)

Avi Issacharoff says Pres. Abbas may be using the threat of resigning negotiators to pressure Israel over settlements. (Times of Israel)

Aeyal Gross examines the moral economy of Israeli vegans who support the occupation. (Ha'aretz)

Joseph Dana looks at a new book by Shira Robinson on Palestinian citizens of Israel. (The National)

Tom Phillips says Israel and Saudi Arabia cannot cooperate on their mutual concerns about Iran without dealing with the Palestinian issue first. (Ha'aretz)

Jonathan Rynhold says the ultimate cost of the Iraq war may be a nuclear Iran. (Ha'aretz)

Michael Young says the specter of Hezbollah hangs heavy over Iranian negotiations. (The National)

Osama Al Sharif says the new US emphasis on diplomacy will test its relations with many Middle East allies. (Arab News)

The Jerusalem Post says the US must keep Israel "in the loop" on Iran. (Jerusalem Post)

Douglas Bloomfield says Israeli-US feuding over Iran only helps Iran. (Jerusalem Post)

Eyad Abu Shakra says Iran is virtually occupying Syria. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Ari Shavit says Saudi Arabia may attempt to go preemptively nuclear in 2014. (Ha'aretz)

Adnan Abu Amer closely examines Hamas' Mourabitoun unit. (Al Monitor)

News:

Palestinians say new Israeli settlement activity threatens to halt ongoing peace talks. (New York Times/Ma'an)

Israel says it is placing major new settlement plans on hold. (AP/Reuters/AFP)

The PLO and the Arab League endorse an investigation into the death of the late Pres. Arafat. (Xinhua)

Disturbances erupt in occupied East Jerusalem during the commemoration of the death Arafat. (Jerusalem Post)

Israel's military is accused of using Palestinians living under occupation as unwitting part of training exercises. (The Guardian)

An "unauthorized" and particularly violent Israeli settlement outpost near Hebron is quickly growing. (Ma'an)

Israeli intelligence officials say they're concerned about heavily armed Palestinian elements in occupied Hebron. (Jerusalem Post)

A planned protest movement against Hamas in Gaza fails to materialize. (AP)

Israeli police say a police officer has been stabbed in the north of the country. (AP/Ha'aretz)

Israel may halt the production and distribution of gas masks. (Xinhua)

Israel seems set to accept EU restrictions on funding projects in the occupied Palestinian territories. (Ha'aretz)

Palestinian citizens of Israel are still struggling to integrate into the country's high-tech sector. (Times of Israel)

Private donors are making a huge impact on the war in Syria. (New York Times)

The Syrian conflict is giving rise to a wave of kidnappings in Lebanon. (AP)

Kurds in Syria say they have established a transitional autonomous authority but have no plans for independence. (Xinhua/BBC)

Egypt's secular parties continue to be bedeviled by disorganization and fragmentation. (Washington Post)

Egyptian Christians demand more action regarding ongoing kidnappings. (Christian Science Monitor)

Commentary:

Omar Shaban says Palestinians should pay more attention to the potential involvement of the EU in the peace process. (Al Monitor)

Hazem Saghieh says Sec. Kerry is not creating a good impression in the Middle East. (Al Hayat)

Hassan Barari says Kerry has too much on his plate to be successful. (Jordan Times)

Thomas Friedman says exploring negotiations with Iran is in the US national interest. (New York Times)

Rami Khouri says the exchange of accusations and recriminations between Iran and the US are a healthy sign. (The Daily Star)

Ben Caspit says PM Netanyahu is facing a potential lose-lose scenario on Iran and the peace process. (Al Monitor)

Chemi Shalev says Netanyahu sees the West's engagement with Iran in terms of 1938 Munich. (Ha'aretz)

Zvi Bar'el says Netanyahu is making Israel's relationship with Washington almost impossible. (Ha'aretz)

Henry Siegman says Netanyahu is clearly not committed to a two-state solution and another Palestinian uprising is inevitable. (Ha'aretz)

Alan Bauer says Sec. Kerry needs to hold Palestinians accountable. (Jerusalem Post)

Avraham Burg offers his vision of peace at Harvard University. (Harvard Crimson)

Ha'aretz says Netanyahu can't keep hiding behind Housing Minister Ariel on settlement expansions. (Ha'aretz)

The Jerusalem Post says Israel and Jewish Americans have a "shared destiny." (Jerusalem Post)

Nechama Duek says everyone should be grateful to Netanyahu for pushing the West to get a better deal out of Iran. (YNet)

Laurence Louër questions the "myth of the Shiite crescent." (Asharq Al Awsat)

George Semaan says the US may be able to secure six months of calm in Israel/Palestine, Iraq and Syria, but what after that? (Al Hayat)

Elias Harfoush says the West is harboring dangerous illusions about a political solution in Syria. (Al Hayat)

Diana Moukalled says Egyptian authorities are wrong to even consider graffiti and drawing a "crime." (Asharq Al Awsat)

Asharq Al-Awsat interviews historian Denise Spellberg on the surprisingly deep impact of Islam on the United States from its earliest times. (Asharq Al Awsat)

News:

The US and Israel remain divided on Iran. (Times of Israel)

Israel calls on the west to secure "a better deal" with Iran, but is trying to mend fences with the US. (AP/Xinhua)

Newly-reinstated Israeli FM Lieberman says it's time to mend fences with the United States over Iran. (Ha'aretz/Jerusalem Post/Times of Israel)

Israeli press reports suggest Pres. Abbas is actively preventing a third intifada. (PNN)

Palestinians mark the ninth anniversary of the death of the late Pres. Arafat. (Xinhua)

AP provides a Q&A on questions surrounding the death of Arafat. (AP)

There is an agreement to remove all arms from a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria. (Xinhua)

An Israeli NGO calls plans for a new Jewish town in the Negev "racist." (AFP)

Israeli occupation forces detain 10 Palestinians in the West Bank. (Ma'an)

PA police arrest Bethlehem journalist George Canawati. (Jerusalem Post)

A global Palestinian 'Right to Education Week' kicks off at Birzeit University. (Ma'an)

A giant "Question of Palestine" mural is unveiled in Nablus. (Ma'an)

Egypt destroys more Gaza smuggling tunnels. (Times of Israel)

Members of the Syrian opposition will attend potential upcoming peace talks. (Xinhua)

Syrian troops and rebels clash on the outskirts of Damascus. (AP)

Gunmen violate a cease-fire to try to assassinate pro-Hezbollah sheik in Lebanon. (AP/Reuters)

Eight more people are killed in attacks in Iraq. (Xinhua)

Leaders of a breakaway regional province movement in Libya declare their own oil company. (AP)

Egypt's constitution-drafting committee warns of differences within the group. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Commentary:

Hussein Ibish says Arab-Americans are torn between visions of success and perpetual victimhood. (NOW)

Alon Pinkas says Netanyahu is engaging in unnecessary quarrels with the US. (YNet)

Dalia Dassa Kaye says many Israelis, unlike Netanyahu, believe in diplomacy. (Los Angeles Times)

Ha'aretz says Israel should stop stealing Bedouin land. (Ha'aretz)

David Landau says Netanyahu's analogies between the Palestinians and Iran are ridiculous. (Ha'aretz)

Moshe Arens says Israelis are confident, but don't believe Abbas can end the conflict. (Ha'aretz)

Einat Wilf says hostility to Israel can be a form of anti-Semitism. (Ha'aretz)

David Ignatius interviews Egyptian intelligence chief el-Tohamy about relations with the US and other issues. (Washington Post)

Roger Cohen says a nuclear deal with Iran is achievable. (New York Times)

The Washington Post says US needs better strategy for dealing with Iran. (Washington Post)

Stanley Fish continues his musings about the idea of boycotting Israeli universities. (New York Times)

Aaron David Miller says there isn't much the US can do to impact domestic politics in Egypt. (New York Times)

Mohamed Farid Al-Shayyal says excluding the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood from politics won't help democracy, but Majdi Hamdan says it will. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Faisal Al Yafai says Syrians are starting to consider the unthinkable: Pres. Assad might stay in power. (The National)

Asharq Al-Awsat interviews Kurdish leader Barham Salih on the future of Iraq. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Rami Khouri says the Arab world needs to embrace basic freedoms for individual citizens. (The Daily Star)

News:

Belgium upgrades Palestine's diplomatic status. (AFP)

The PLO says it is seeking a comprehensive deal with Israel, not an interim agreement. (Ma'an)

Palestinians say no agreement is better than a bad one. (YNet)

PM Netanyahu says Israel is "waiting for a Palestinian Ben-Gurion" to achieve Middle East peace. (Jerusalem Post)

PA police are increasingly active on the outskirts of Jerusalem. (The Media Line)

Israel issues orders for more Palestinian home demolitions in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ma'an)

Israeli occupation forces detain seven Palestinian teenagers in the occupied West Bank. (Ma'an)

The Tamarod movement in Gaza gears up to challenge Hamas rule. (BBC)

Gaza continues to suffer from prolonged blackouts due to internal Palestinian disputes. (Xinhua)

Major protests are scheduled for November 30 against Israel's mass relocation plan for Bedouin citizens. (Ma'an)

Fatah says Hamas has banned them from commemorating in Gaza the seventh anniversary of the death of the late Pres. Arafat. (YNet/Times of Israel)

Palestinian artists resist the occupation with paintings. (Christian Science Monitor)

Pres. Abbas meets Pres. Mansour and Gen. Sisi in Cairo. (Ma'an)

Netanyahu accuses the world being "soft" on the Palestinians. (AP)

A crisis in Israeli-American relations is said to be brewing over Iran. (AP)

Israel's cabinet approves the return of Lieberman as FM. (Xinhua)

Israel is repositioning itself as a trade gateway to the Middle East. (Xinhua)

Palestinian refugees accuse Jordanian police of abuses. (Al Monitor)

Western diplomats say Iran balked at a Western nuclear proposal over a few details, especially inspections. (New York Times/AP)

Sec. Kerry denies big splits within the P5+1 negotiating with Iran. (Reuters)

Syrian rebels recapture the airport near Aleppo. (New York Times)

Syrians on both sides of the conflict see Pres. Assad as likely to stay in office for some time. (New York Times)

Jordan confirms its eagerness to take the UN Security Council seat vacated by Saudi Arabia. (AP)

Kerry is visiting the UAE for an update on Iran talks. (The National)

Two Egyptian soldiers are killed in a drive-by shooting in Sinai. (AP)

 

Commentary:

Rana Askoul asks if the question of Palestine is still relevant today. (The National)

The Jerusalem Post interviews chief Israeli negotiator Livni. (Jerusalem Post)

Chemi Shalev says Israel should not find itself in an unwinnable diplomatic confrontation with Washington. (Ha'aretz)

Jackson Diehl says Kerry seems to be living in a Middle Eastern dreamworld. (Washington Post)

Alex Fishman cautions Kerry to stop warning about another intifada since expectations about negotiations are so low on all sides. (YNet)

Amira Hass says the occupation is plainly the main reason for the weakness of the Palestinian economy. (Ha'aretz)

Oudeh Basharat says Israel fears the prospect of real "truth and reconciliation." (Ha'aretz)

Avi Issacharoff looks at the difficult challenges facing the planned Palestinian city Rawabi. (Times of Israel)

Raphael Ahren asks why France took such a tough line in the Iran negotiations. (Times of Israel)

Hussein Ibish says some Western Middle East allies don't share any eagerness for a deal with Iran. (The National)

Kevin Connolly says Kurds in northern Iraq are aiming to change the outcome of World War I by achieving independence. (BBC)

Alaa Al Aswany says most Egyptian support the new government's war against terrorism, but that doesn't help promote democracy. (New York Times)

Abdullah Iskandar says the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood can no longer link its cause to that of freedom and democracy. (Al Hayat)

Abdullah Al Shayji says the US must delay growing fears of its GCC allies. (Gulf News)

Osama Al Sharif says Kerry is making progress in mending fences with Arab allies but much more work remains. (Gulf News)

Mostafa Zein evaluates the new structure of American Middle East policy, including working with rivals and enemies. (Al Hayat)

Hussein Ibish joins a panel on TV Ontario to discuss anti-Semitism on the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht. (TVO)