April 30th

News:
Sec. Kerry will resume Middle East peace talks after a pause. (Reuters/Jerusalem Post/Ynet)
Experts counsel a “wait-and-see” approach after peace talks collapse. (JTA)
The Christian Science Monitor analyses the impasse in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. (Christian Science Monitor)
UN Middle East Envoy Serry says Israel and the Palestinians must choose between a one-state reality and a two-state solution. (Ha’aretz)
Israeli and Palestinian UN Envoys accuse each other of sabotaging the peace process. (Reuters)
Palestinian Chief Negotiator Erekat says Israel never gave negotiations a chance to succeed. (PNN/Ha’aretz)
Palestinians are continuing with national unity plans. (AP)
PM Netanyahu is toying with unilateral measures. (New York Times)
Deputy DM Danon says Kerry’s “apartheid” comment calls the US role as an “honest broker” into question. (Ha’aretz)
Hamas says it will never recognize Israel. (The Media Line)
Israeli occupation forces demolish homes in a refugee camp in the West Bank. (Ma’an)
The municipality of Jerusalem blames Palestinians for their own lack of representation in municipal institutions. (Ha’aretz)
The Shin Bet allegedly uncovers a Hamas-affiliated cell in the occupied West Bank. (Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post)
Jewish groups consider including J Street in the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. (New York Times)
The UN says it needs the consent of the Syrian government for cross-border aid deliveries. (Reuters)
50 people are killed in bomb and mortars attacks in government-controlled areas of Syria.  (New York Times)
Egyptian blogger and activist Bassem Sabry dies. (AP)
The EU says Egypt’s mass death sentences are a breach of international law. (Reuters)
Iraqis vote in their first national election since US forces withdrew in 2011. (Reuters/AP/New York Times/Washington Post/The National)
Commentary:
Jeffrey Goldberg says Kerry used the word “apartheid” because he is worried about Israel’s future as a “Jewish state.”(Bloomberg)
Aaron David Miller says Kerry’s remarks about Israel becoming an “apartheid state” do nothing to advance the peace process. (Foreign Policy)
John Cassidy says Kerry was basically telling the truth. (New Yorker)
The Los Angeles Times says “intense engagement” by the US is unlikely to succeed if both the Israelis and Palestinians are not serious enough to make difficult decisions. (Los Angeles Times)
Rami Khouri says Israel’s decision to halt negotiations with the Palestinians is “inconsistent, insincere, and hypocritical.” (Daily Star)
Osama Al Sharif says it took more than twenty years for Pres. Abbas to “reinvent himself” as a Palestinian leader. (Jordan Times)
Alistair Burt says friends of the Palestinians and Israelis should encourage them to keep going with the peace talks. (Asharq al-Awsat)
Morning Editions interviews Israeli Amb. Dermer. (NPR)
Reuters interviews Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahar. (Reuters)
Yossi Mekelberg asks if the Palestinian unity agreement is a danger or an opportunity for the peace process. (Al Arabiya)
Ha’aretz says Israel’s appropriation of Palestinian land is a “historic injustice.” (Ha’aretz)
Zvi Bar’el says Israel needs to recognize Palestine. (Ha’aretz)
Hussein Ibish says both the US and Egypt must adjust in order to continue repairing their strained relations. (The National)
Marwan Muasher says Arab societies need to embrace the politics of pluralism and inclusiveness. (Daily Star)
The National says PM Maliki is to blame for sectarian politics in Iraq. (The National)
David Ignatius says Syrian refugees in Jordan want to go home. (Washington Post)
The Jordan Times says all Syrian refugees should be granted the right to vote in the upcoming presidential elections. (Jordan Times)
The Christian Science Monitor says Syria’s denial of aid and use of starvation provides a legal right for UN workers to enter the country without permission. (Christian Science Monitor)
Ali Ibrahim says evading or postponing subsidy reforms in the Middle East impedes development. (Asharq al-Awsat)

April 29th

News:

The New York Times analyses the collapse of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. (New York Times)

Some Israeli politicians are seeking to unilaterally draw new borders. (Reuters)

Peace Now says Israel increased settlement work four-fold during recent peace talks.(AP/Reuters/AFP/Jerusalem Post/Ynet/The National)

Sec. Kerry says he chose the wrong word in describing Israel’s potential future as an “apartheid state.” (AP/New York Times/Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post)

Many Jewish-American groups criticize Kerry’s remarks. (Ha’aretz)

Pres. Abbas says there can be no peace with Israel without first defining the borders of a future Palestinian state. (AFP)

The PLO says its ready to resume negotiations if Israel freezes settlements and releases the fourth batch of prisoners. (Ha’aretz)

The White House says Hamas-Fatah reconciliation is not necessarily a “bad thing.” (Ha’aretz)

Hamas leader Abu Marzouk says the Palestinian unity government will be “technocratic not political.”(Ha’aretz)

Israeli occupation forces demolish a mosque in the West Bank. (Reuters/Ma’an)

Jewish “price tag” extremists vandalize a mosque in northern Israel. (AP/AFP/Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post/JTA)

Officials warn that Jordan’s custodianship of the Al Aqsa Mosque is “in danger.” (Jordan Times)

Israel’s Jerusalem wall splits a Palestinian family. (AP)

Egypt opens the Rafah crossing for two days. (Ma’an)

PM Erdogan says normalization with Israel is a matter of “days or weeks.” (Jerusalem Post/Ynet/Times of Israel)

A car bomb in Homs kills 36. (AP/Xinhua)

Militants pose a threat on the eve of national elections in Iraq. (New York Times)

Erdogan calls on the US to extradite his rival, the Muslim cleric Gulen. (Reuters)

Commentary:

Faisal Al Yafai says Kerry is seeking to shock Israel out of its complacency. (The National)

Christopher Fettweis says, to achieve peace, both Israelis and Palestinians must put aside their past. (Los Angeles Times)

The National looks at how the Palestinians view the Holocaust. (The National)

Zeina Barakat defends her visit to Auschwitz with Professor Dajani. (The Atlantic)

Thane Rosenbaum says Israel should welcome Abbas’ recent remarks about the Holocaust. (Ha’aretz)

Sharif Nashashibi says Palestinians should ensure that the PA sticks to its promise and joins the ICC. (Al Arabiya)

Ari Shavit proposes unilateral measures by Israel and the Palestinians. (New Republic)

Richard Cohen says Hamas’ anti-semitism must be repudiated for a lasting peace in the Middle East. (Washington Post)

Akiva Eldar says the peace process has failed due to Israeli recalcitrance. (Ha’aretz)

Matthew Longo, Daphna Canetti and Nancy Hite-Rubin they say peace must address the “daily facts on the ground” for most people. (Christian Science Monitor)

Ha’aretz says Israel must make the history of the Palestinians an integral part of every school curriculum. (Ha’aretz)

The Daily Star asks if Western supporters of the Syrian opposition will actually do something now that Pres. Assad is seeking reelection. (Daily Star)

Anne-Marie Slaughter says the solution to the crisis in Ukraine lies partly in Syria. (Daily Star)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed says former PM Blair’s speech is a call to save “moderate Islam.” (Al Arabiya)

April 28th

News:

Sec. Kerry says Israel risks becoming an “apartheid” state. (AFP/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel/JTA/The Daily Beast)

Pres. Abbas calls the Holocaust the “most heinous crime” of modern history. (AP/Reuters/New York Times/Washington Post/Ha’aretz/The National)

PM Netanyahu dismisses Abbas’ Holocaust condemnation. (Ha’aretz)

Israel pauses in silence for Holocaust Day. (AP/AFP/Xinhua/Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post)

Netanyahu compares the Iranian nuclear threat to Nazi menace.(Times of Israel/Ynet)

The PLO plans to join 60 UN bodies and international agreements. (Ma’an/Ha’aretz)

The agreement between Fatah and Hamas might threaten US aid to the PA. (AP)

The US is not out of Middle East peace options. (Reuters)

Special Envoy Indyk leaves Israel as peace talks falter. (Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Israeli Finance Minister Lapid says if Hamas meets the Quartet’s conditions, his party is ready to talk to them. (Ha’aretz)

Economy Minister Bennett calls on Israel to annex 60 percent of the occupied West Bank. (Times of Israel)

Abbas says Palestinians will never recognize Israel as a “Jewish state.” (JTA)

Israel is still pushing to join the US visa-waiver program. (AP)

Palestinians say Israel will transfer Palestinian tax revenues to the PA, but Israel denies this. (Xinhua)

Extremist settlers uproot more than 150 olive trees in the occupied West Bank. (Ma’an)

Pres. Assad says he will seek re-election in June. (Reuters)

Syria misses its self-imposed deadline for destroying chemical arms. (Reuters/New York Times/The National)

An Egyptian court sentences 683 supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood to death, and commutes 100 of previous death sentences. (AP/Reuters/New York Times/Washington Post/The National)

An Egyptian court bans a left wing group that helped topple former Pres. Mubarak. (Reuters)

Iraqis vote for a new parliament. (AP/Reuters/Xinhua)

Commentary:

Amer Al Sabaileh says Jordan has to be prepared for growing chaos on its Palestinian and Syrian borders. (Jordan Times)

Orlando Crowcroft says the Hamas-Fatah reconciliation deal raises multiple questions. (The National)

The Daily Star says after the unity deal Fatah and Hamas need to follow up with “serious actions” that will not disappoint their people. (Daily Star)

Ha’aretz says Israel’s “discriminatory” planning policy in the occupied West Bank violates its most basic obligations. (Ha’aretz)

Gideon Levy says there is no comparison between the Holocaust and the occupation, but the act of resistance is “legitimate” in both cases. (Ha’aretz)

Oudeh Basharat says the world has learned the lessons of the Holocaust better than Israel. (Ha’aretz)

Benedetta Berti says the Syrian civil war is altering the dynamic relationship between Hezbollah and Israel. (Daily Star)

Khairallah Khairallah says the presidential election is Assad’s new front in the Syrian conflict. (Al Arabiya)

Amal Mousa says Arab political elites need to carry out an “intellectual revolution.”   (Asharq al-Awsat)

David Ignatius says “brutal” sectarian war has come again to Iraq. (Washington Post)

Diana Moukalled says Iraq’s female parliamentary candidates are still held back by “old paradigms.” (Al Arabiya)

April 25th

News:

Israel suspends peace talks with the Palestinians. (Reuters/AP/New York Times/Washington Post/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Pres. Obama says neither Israelis nor Palestinians have shown the political will to make tough decisions. (AP/AFP/Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post)

Sec. Kerry is unwilling to give up on the Middle East peace process. (AP/Ha’aretz/Ynet)

Pres. Abbas reportedly assures the UN that any Palestinian government will be non-violent, recognize Israel and respect Palestinian commitments, as the PLO condemns Israel’s decision to withdraw from peace negotiations. (Ynet/Ma’an)

Palestinians are considering “all options” in response to Israel’s decision to halt talks. (The National)

Israel criticizes the US response to the Fatah-Hamas unity deal. (Ha’aretz)

“The Elders” welcome the reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas. (Ma’an)

Rep. Lowey says she is ready to launch steps to defund the PA due to the agreement with Hamas. (JTA)

Christian leaders in Israel urge youth not to enlist in the military. (Ma’an)

Extremist Jewish settlers attack a seven year-old girl in the occupied West Bank. (Ma’an)

Pres. Assad’s future may depend on keeping support within his own sect. (New York Times)

The International Tribunal dealing with the killing of former PM Hariri charges two leading Lebanese journalists. (New York Times)

Egypt is trying to save money on wheat subsidies by issuing a new smart card system. (AP)

Turkey’s most senior judge criticizes PM Erdogan. (AP)

Commentary:

Gwen Ifill interviews Hussein Ibish and Jeffrey Goldberg about the status of peace talks. (PBS)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed asks if Hamas will finally “bow” to Fatah. (Al Arabiya)

Bakir Oweida says the unity agreement between Fatah and Hamas is an important first step to end the Palestinian infighting. (Asharq al-Awsat)

The Daily Star says the US reaction to the Palestinian unity deal is “disappointing.” (Daily Star)

Khaled Elgindy says the US should welcome the reconciliation deal between Fatah and Hamas. (Foreign Policy)

Jeffrey Goldberg says Israel’s decision to suspend peace talks with the PLO contains elements of “reasonableness, realism, hypocrisy and myopia.” (Bloomberg)

Avi Issacharoff says PM Netanyahu fears Palestinian reconciliation because it would force him to acknowledge that Abbas is a “true partner for peace.” (Times of Israel)

David Landau says Palestinian unity deal exposes Netanyahu’s “true face.” (Ha’aretz)

J.J. Goldberg says Israel’s decision to halt peace talks with the PLO is simultaneously “sensible, questionable and inexcusable.” (Jewish Daily Forward)

Ha’aretz asks how Netanyahu will address the “demographic threat” that he warned of, now that he does not talk to the PLO. (Ha’aretz)

Alan Philps asks if the world will listen to former PM Blair’s call for more commitment to the Middle East. (The National)

The New York Times says the decision by the Obama administration to resume military aid to Egypt is a “vote of confidence” to a military-dominated government.  (New York Times)

April 24th

News:
Hamas and Fatah agree to form a unity government and hold new elections. (AP/New York Times/Washington Post/Los Angeles Times/USA Today/Bloomberg)
The US says it is disappointed by the Palestinian unity deal. (Reuters/PNN/Ha’aretz)
FM Lieberman says a peace deal with the Palestinians is impossible after the unity deal. (AP/Jerusalem Post/Ynet/Times of Israel/AFP)
Israeli Chief Negotiator Livni calls the agreement between Fatah and Hamas a “bad deal.” (Times of Israel)
The Israeli Foreign Ministry reportedly believes that Palestinian reconciliation is not near implementation. (Ha’aretz)
Qatar and Turkey back the Palestinian unity deal. (Ma’an)
Pres. Abbas says there is no contradiction between negotiations with Israel and reconciliation with Hamas. (Ma’an/Xinhua)
A PA official says Hamas has accepted the two-state solution. (Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post)
A Hamas spokesperson says Abbas will visit Gaza if a unity government is formed. (Ma’an/Jerusalem Post)
Jordan and Palestine sign eight cooperation agreements. (Jordan TImes)
Women, who are Palestinians citizens of Israel, join a professional Israeli soccer team. (AP/Times of Israel)
The OPCW is considering launching a fact-finding mission in Syria to investigatereports of attacks with chlorine gas. (Reuters)
UNSG Ki-moon demands Security Council action in Syria. (Reuters)
British police will ask Muslim women to help persuade young people not to go to fight in Syria. (Reuters/AFP)
Egypt’s military says it has gained “complete control over the situation” in Sinai. (Reuters)
The US vows to help Libya tackle “rising violent extremism.” (Reuters)
Commentary:
Six commentators, including Hussein Ibish, opine on the new Hamas and Fatah agreement. (PBS)
David Horovitz says the Palestinian unity deal is “bad news for everyone” except the extremists. (Times of Israel)
Roger Cohen says the two-state solution can emerge only if the majority of Israelis and Palestinians will accept a “painful compromise” in the name of a better future. (New York Times)
Ari Shavit asks why Israelis are surprised every time Abbas fails to sign a peace agreement with Israel. (Ha’aretz)
Ha’aretz says, by inviting Christian Palestinian citizens of Israel to join the army, Israel is distinguishing between Arabs “on the basis of religion.” (Ha’aretz)
The Jordan Times says Pres. Obama is right in “admonishing various government agencies’ against contradicting the official stance of Washington on Jerusalem. (Jordan Times)
Jeffrey Goldberg blames extremist Islamist violence for the State’s Department unwillingness to review the identification of Jerusalem. (Bloomberg)
Aaron David Miller says Lawrence Wright’s “Camp David” indicates why there is no hope in the current Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. (Foreign Policy)
Joyce Karam says in the last 48 hours, US relations with Egypt have taken a “partial detour.” (Al Arabiya)
Abdul Rahman Al Rashed says Pres. Assad is holding elections to buy more time. (Al Arabiya)
Ibrahim Saif says as the Syrian crisis enters its fourth year, the international community should increase burden sharing and better coordination of responses. (Jordan Times)
Michael Young asks how long will Lebanese Christians be ruled by figures from their past. (Daily Star)

April 23rd

News:
Fatah and Hamas say they have reached an agreement over the terms of areconciliation deal. (Ma’an/Xinhua/Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post/Ynet)
PM Netanyahu tells Pres. Abbas to choose between peace with Israel or reconcilationwith Hamas. (Reuters/Xinhua/Jerusalem Post/Times of Israel)
Abbas renews his threat to dissolve the PA if peace talks fail. (New York Times)
An Israeli Minister reports progress in talks with Palestinians. (Times of Israel)
Jewish “price tag” extremists vandalize a Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem. (PNN/Jerusalem Post/JTA/Times of Israel)
Palestinian citizens of Israel condemn a plan to recruit Christians in the Israeli military. (Ma’an)
Israeli occupation forces arrest 17 Palestinians in the West Bank. (Ma’an)
A short American film questions the ways Israelis and Palestinians see each other as a result of the conflict. (AP)
France will unveil a plan to prevent young Muslims from going to fight in Syria and becoming radicalized. (Reuters)
The UN says aid efforts for Syria have failed. (New York Times/AP)
Former PM Blair says the world must take a stand against Muslim extremists. (Ha’aretz)
The US will deliver 10 Apache helicopters to Egypt. (Reuters)
Lebanon’s Parliament fails to elect a new President. (AP/Xinhua/Daily Star)
PM Erdogan calls the killing of Armenians during World War I “our shared pain.”(AP/Jerusalem Post)
An Amnesty International report says Qatar is failing to protect domestic workers from exploitation. (AP)
Commentary:
Rami Khouri says more people are realizing Israel is slowly turning into an “apartheid-like state.” (Daily Star)
Salman Mashalha says the PA should hold new elections and get rid of the “corrupt old guard.” (Ha’aretz)
Ha’aretz says Israel continues to undermine the principle of “non-refoulement.” (Ha’aretz)
The Washington Post says Pres. Assad is feeling confident enough to call for elections. (Washington Post)
The National says Assad’s election plan is “farcical and surreal.” (The National)
Osama Al Sharif says Jordan will likely tighten control of its borders with Syria due to the fear of infiltration. (Jordan Times)
Michael Young says Lebanese may not know who will be their next president, but this uncertainty is a “refreshing rarity” in the Middle East. (The National)
The New Yorks Times says neither the closing of Abu Ghraib nor the passage of time can erase the stain created by the brutalization of inmates. (New York Times)
Abdel Monem Said says bringing down the Mehleb government because of the electricity crisis in Egypt will serve nothing. (Al Arabiya)
Ali Ibrahim says if the current situation in Libya persists, the most plausible scenario is international intervention. (Asharq al-Awsat)
Faisal Abbas asks if Qatar will live up to its commitments and normalize its relations with the other GCC states. (Al Arabiya)
Hassan Hassan outlines the details of Qatar’s reported deal with other GCC states.(Foreign Policy)

April 22nd

News:

Palestinian and Israeli negotiators will meet in Jerusalem. (Xinhua/PNN/Times of Israel)

The US warns dissolution of the PA would have “grave implications.” (PNN/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

A Palestinian official dismisses US threats to cut aid if Pres. Abbas dissolves the PA. (Jerusalem Post)

FM Lieberman says the PA should not come up with “new threats” every day. (Jerusalem Post/Ynet)

Hamas and Fatah are reportedly discussing reconciliation. (Ha’aretz)

Jordan summons the Israeli Ambassador over the recent clashes at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. (Xinhua/PNN/Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post/Jordan Times)

Israel says it is willing to treat Palestinian-Americans equally if it joins the US visa waiver program.
(Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

The US Supreme Court will review the identification of Jerusalem on American passports. (Ha’aretz/AP/JTA)

The Israeli army will begin “actively recruiting” Christian Palestinian citizens of Israel. (Ma’an/Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post/Times of Israel)

Palestinian citizens of Israel in Umm al-Fahm protest against “price tag” attacks. (Ma’an)

A Fatah official says Yarmouk residents are planning to organize a peaceful rally against the militant groups. (Ma’an)

The US says it has indications that a toxic chemical was used in Syria in the past month. (Reuters/AP)

Syrian rebels are making their last stand in Homs against government forces. (AP)

Militants attack a balloting center in Iraq, killing 10. (AP)

Iran will start cutting gasoline subsidies this week. (Reuters/Xinhua)

US drones and Yemeni forces kill 40 al-Qaeda-linked fighters. (New York Times/The National)

Commentary:

Hussein Ibish says the US Supreme Court must uphold the Constitution, international law, and established US policy in its ruling on Jerusalem. (Now)

Seth Lipsky says if the US Supreme Court decides to list “Israel” as country of birth of an American born in Jerusalem, the consequences would be “huge.” (Ha’aretz)

Ha’aretz says the recent confrontation on the Temple Mount/Al Aqsa mosque serve as a reminder that the site must be handled with “wisdom and sensitivity.” (Ha’aretz)

Peter Beinart says South Africa has important lessons for Israel. (Ha’aretz)

Jonathan Cook says Israel has no weapons to defeat a campaign of popular non-violent resistance by Palestinians. (The National)

Faisal Al Yafai says Saudi Prince Bandar did not fail in Syria. (The National)

Brooklyn Middleton says Syria will be “reelecting” a “mass murderer.” (Al Arabiya)

Mustafa Akyol says Turkey and the US should discuss new ways to end the “disastrous civil war” in Syria. (New York TImes)

Khairallah Khairallah asks if Egypt has overcome the “Muslim Brotherhood complex.” (Al Arabiya)

April 21st

News:
Pres. Abbas reportedly threatens to dissolve the PA and disband Palestinian security forces. (Times of Israel/JTA)
Economy Minister Bennett says Israel will not stop Abbas from dismantling the PA.(Ha’aretz/Ynet)
A Palestinian official says Special Envoy Indyk has not proposed new ideas to salvage the peace talks. (PNN/Jerusalem Post)
Fatah and Hamas leaders will meet in Gaza for reconciliation talks.(AP/Ma’an/Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post)
Hamas releases 10 Fatah-affiliated prisoners. (Ma’an)
Israeli and Palestinian minors accused of crimes in the occupied West Bank are subject to two different sets of laws. (AP/Times of Israel)
Gaza militants fire rockets at Israel.(AP/Reuters/Ma’an/Ha’aretz)
Israeli airstrikes target central Gaza, injuring two. (Ma’an/PNN/Ynet)
Many officials in the US intelligence community object to visa waivers for Israelis.(Ha’aretz)
Israeli police prevent UN Middle East Envoy Serry from celebrating the Holy Fire ceremony in Jerusalem. (Ma’an/Reuters)
A senior Palestinian cleric accuses Israel of throwing stun grenades into al-Aqsa mosque. (Reuters)
Extremist settlers uproot more than 100 olive trees in the occupied West Bank. (Ma’an)
Jewish “price tag” extremists vandalize a car in northern Israel. (Times of Israel)
An Israeli journalist says only Palestinian citizens of Israel are prosecuted for going to “enemy countries.” (Ha’aretz)
Syria will hold presidential elections on June 3rd. (AP/The National)
Four french journalists are freed in Syria. (New York Times)
Pres. Assad visits a Syrian Christian village recaptured from rebels. (The National)
In Homs deadly battles continue between the Assad regime and the Syrian opposition. (New York Times)
Egypt’s electoral commission says only two presidential candidates have submitted their papers. (AP/Reuters)
Many young Egyptians feel excluded by the government. (Washington Post)
A kidnaped Tunisian diplomat urges his government to negotiate with his Libyan kidnappers. (Reuters)
Commentary:
Rami Khouri says Israeli-Palestinian peace talks lack realism, reciprocity, reasonableness and respect. (Daily Star)
Monique Jaques says many women in Gaza dream of leaving the strip, to explore the world. (New York Times)
Gideon Levy says a Palestinian and an Israeli were “needlessly killed,” yet the Israeli government and media only seek justice for the latter. (Ha’aretz)
Nahum Barnea says the Palestinian threat to dissolve the PA could have “serious repercussions” for Israel. (Ynet)
Ha’aretz says the arrest of a journalist, who is a Palestinian citizen of Israel, is only because he is an Arab. (Ha’aretz)
Taylor Luck says the politics of the Zaatari refugee camp threaten Jordan’s stability. (Jordan Times)
The Daily Star says the Lebanese presidential elections alienate the public from the process and from their own political leaders. (Daily Star)
Mshari Al-Zaydi asks if Egypt can reconcile with the Muslim Brotherhood. (Asharq al-Awsat)
Brian Katulis, Mokhtar Awad and Hardin Lang say a Jordanian cleric is sending young men to fight and die in Syria’s civil war. (Foreign Policy)
Sharif Nashashibi says elections in the Arab world will not produce democracy. (Al Arabiya)
Amal Mousa says Arab constitutions are in need of fundamental revisions to bring them in line with international standards. (Asharq al-Awsat)
Andrew Bacevich says the closing of Abu Ghraib indicates the full magnitude of the US failure in Iraq. (Los Angeles Times)
Abdul Rahman Al Rashed says extremist groups have “infiltrated the west” through charities. (Al Arabiya)
Hamad Al-Majid says the British government needs to work with moderates within Islamic institutions and among the Muslim community’s leaders. (Asharq al-Awsat)

April 18th

News:

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators meet in Jerusalem. (Reuters/PNN/JTA)

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will hold separate talks today with Special Envoy Indyk. (Times of Israel)

Jewish “price tag” extremists vandalize a mosque in northern Israel. (AP/Ma’an/PNN/Ha’aretz/JTA)

A journalist, who is a Palestinian citizen of Israel, is moved to house arrest in a case involving hisrecent visit to Lebanon. (New York Times/AFP/Ha’aretz)

Newly appointed Commissioner-General of UNRWA Krähenbühl vows to help end the blockade of Gaza. (PNN)

Sec. Kerry wants to ease restrictions for visa-seeking young Israelis. (Ha’aretz/JTA/Jerusalem Post) 

Tensions in Jerusalem are reflected in ugly rivalries over the Ras Khamis neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem. (New York Times)

Hamas says Egyptian authorities have kept the Rafah crossing with Gaza closed for 81 days in 2014. (Ma’an)

Gaza’s Zayed city provides much needed housing for Palestinians. (The National)

Gaza’s population keeps on growing. (Al Monitor)

A right-wing Israeli organization is trying to block Arab Idol winner Assaf from entering Israel. (Ha’aretz)

Christians mark Good Friday in Jerusalem. (AP/Ma’an)

Gunmen kidnap a Tunisian diplomat in Libya. (Reuters)

Turkish Pres. Gul rules out exchanging government positions with PM Ergodan. (Reuters)

Pursuant to a report by the IAEA, the US releases $450 million of frozen Iranian funds. (Reuters/Jerusalem Post)

Commentary:

ATFP Pres. Ziad Asali says Arab men have to play a major role in the battle for women’s rights. (Huffington Post)

Ha’aretz says the frustration over the absence of progress in peace talks could lead Pres. Abbas to dismantle the PA. (Ha’aretz)

Ahmad Majdoubeh says if FM Lieberman wants to build good relations with “moderate Arab countries” then he should make peace with the Palestinians first. (Jordan Times)

Bakir Oweida says Israeli politicians must overcome the “fear of peace.” (Asharq al-Awsat)

Ben Caspit says Middle East turmoil has prompted an “Israeli military revolution.” (Al Monitor)

Avichai Stollar says a recently approved settlement in Hebron will exact an “unimaginable toll” on Palestinians living in the city. (Ha’aretz)

Zvi Gabbay says Israelis must wait for Palestinian unity to achieve peace. (Ha’aretz)

Aaron David Miller says the Israeli-Palestinian peace process is delaying a “day of reckoning.” (Foreign Policy)

Zeev Sternhell says Israel’s road to becoming like apartheid-era South Africa “has been paved.” (Ha’aretz)

The National says Pres. Assad must acknowledge that his regime survived because of Iran. (The National)

Raed Omari says Jordan is becoming increasingly impatient with Syria. (Al Arabiya)

The National says its time for young Algerians to form political parties and cultivate grass roots support. (The National)

The New York Times says Twitter should not comply with Erdogan’s demands. (New York Times)

Robert Zaretsky says the Algerian presidential election will maintain the country’s status quo. (Los Angeles Times)
 

April 17th

News:
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will hold a meeting about peace talks with Special Envoy Indyk. (AFP/Jerusalem Post)
Pres. Abbas says he is willing to extend peace talks, but the first three months of them should focus on borders. (Ha’aretz/Ynet/Times of Israel)
The PA says communications with Israeli officials is at an all time low. (Ma’an)
The PLO says 800,000 Palestinians have been detained by the Israeli military since the 1967. (Ma’an/PNN)
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza rally for prisoners. (Ynet/AFP)
A blast in Gaza kills three Hamas militants. (New York Times/DPA)
Activists in Gaza are pushing for a two-state solution. (New York Times)
An overland aid convoy is due to arrive in Gaza next week. (Ha’aretz)
Israel arrests a journalist, who is a Palestinian citizen of Israel for travelling to Lebanon. (AP/Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post)
Hamas is attempting to rebuild its regional alliances. (Al Monitor)
Israelis curious about Palestine are increasingly visiting Ramallah. (AP/Times of Israel)
The Committee to Protect Journalists says there is a rise in the assassination of journalists in Syria. (AP)
The Syrian opposition accuses the Assad regime of yet another poison gas attack. (Reuters)
The Syrian war is taking a heavy toll on Syrian culture, archeology and history. (New York Times)
Omani FM bin Alawi says the Gulf rift has been resolved. (Al Arabiya/Gulf News)
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/04/17/Report-Oman-FM-says-Gulf-rift-has-ended.htmlTerrorism in Egypt is spreading from Sinai to Cairo. (Al Monitor)
Arab bankers blame regional unrest for economic deterioration. (Jordan Times)
The IAEA says Iran has begun to cut its most highly-enriched nuclear stockpile. (Reuters/AP)
Commentary:
David Landau says the late Pres. Arafat showed how religious Jews can, like him, accept a two-state solution. (Ha’aretz)
Akiva Eldar examines Israel’s latest move to secure control over key areas in the occupied territories. (Al-Monitor)
Ha’aretz says Israelis must make the effort to learn Arabic. (Ha’aretz)
Joyce Karam says as Hezbollah is widening its mission in Syria, its softening its positions in  Lebanon. (Al Arabiya)
Eyad Abu Shakra says Arabs typiclally do not read history, and even those who do fail to adequately comprehend it. (Asharq al Awsat)
The Jordan Times says Jordan will do all it can to free its ambassador from a Libyan militia. (Jordan Times)
Charlotte Keenan says governments must start treating education as a security asset in combating extremism. (Jordan Times)
Alaa Al Aswany says soccer in Egypt is a mirror reflecting the “fierce struggle” between the old ways of the “ancien regime” and those who dream of a better future. (New York Times)

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