Date

News:
Sec. Kerry says he is concerned about the death of two Palestinians shot during a protest by the Israeli occupation forces. (AFP)
Amnesty International says Israeli forces were reckless in the killing of two protesters in the occupied West Bank. (PNN)
Germany will not give Israel a subsidy for the purchase of German gunboats due to the breakdown of the peace talks. (Ha’aretz)
Pope Francis’ trip to the Holy Land stirs diplomatic dilemmas. (AP)
Hamas leader Haniyeh says details of the merger of security forces with Fatah have been agreed. (Ma’an)
A PA official says the PA is considering ceasing security contacts with Israel. (Ma’an)
Pres. Abbas arrives in Venezuela to seek observer status in three Latin American regional organizations. (AFP/XInhua)
Israel bans Palestinian banks from making deposits in Israeli banks and will run Palestinian electricity at half-strength. (JTA)
Israeli Housing Minister Ariel want to see 50 percent more settlers in the occupied West Bank by 2019. (Reuters)
Economy Minister Bennett will present PM Netanyahu with a proposal to annex “Area C” of the occupied West Bank. (Jerusalem Post)
Jewish extremist settlers uproot 58 olive trees in the occupied West Bank. (Ma’an)
Israeli occupation forces are using drones to track “price tag” extremists in the West Bank. (Ha’aretz)
Netanyahu tells Def. Sec. Hagel world powers must deny Iran any possibility ofdeveloping a nuclear weapon. (AFP/JTA/Times of Israel)
Kerry calls the Syrian presidential election a “farce.” (AP/New York Times/Washington Post)
“Friends of Syria” will step up assistance for Syria’s moderate opposition. (The National)
China’s biggest arms maker says it has never exported chlorine gas to Syria. (Reuters)
Five aid workers, who were held captive in Syria are freed. (AP)
A car bomb kills more than 40 at the Syrian border crossing. (New York Times)
Thousands of civilians flee Falluja after intensified shelling by the Iraqi government. (Reuters)
An Egyptian court tells the three Al Jazeera journalists that they must pay to see evidence. (New York Times)
The US is concerned at the lack of progress in Iranian international nuclear talks. (Reuters/Ha’aretz)
Commentary:
David Ignatius thinks the Middle East peace process is in “tatters.” (Washington Post)
The Daily Star says the “Palestinian flame” is strong, and will burn until Palestinians win their rights. (Daily Star)
George Hishmeh says Netanyahu is not ready to recognize a Palestinian state. (Jordan Times)
Adnan Abu Amer says Hamas is worried about the improved ties between Israel and Turkey. (Al-Monitor)
B. Michael says Israel has adopted “Groucho Marxism” as its official policy. (Ha’aretz)
Yossi Sarid says Israel’s schools are frightening children with the Holocaust and the Intifada. (Ha’aretz)
Raed Omari says it is surprising that UN Syria Envoy Brahimi held on for this long. (Al Arabiya)
Fahmy Howeidy says Egyptians should not rely on the army to forge change. (Al Arabiya)
Geoffrey Aronson says Egyptian officials are focusing on their own politics for now, while expecting a protracted conflict in Syria. (Al-Monitor)
Samir Atallah says Libya wasted 40 years on Gaddafi’s “destructive and pointless rule”, and it is still hopelessly mired in chaos. (Asharq al-Awsat)
Ahmad Majdoubeh says the world lacks a unified strategy or mechanism to deal with terror. (Jordan Times)

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