News:
UN Middle East Envoy Serry says Israel and the Palestinians
must choose between a one-state reality and a two-state solution. (Ha’aretz)
The municipality of Jerusalem
blames Palestinians for their own lack of representation in municipal institutions. (Ha’aretz)
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)
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)