News:
 
Leaked reports suggest Sec. Kerry’s potential framework proposal could have modest goals. (The Globe and Mail)  

The PA reportedly informs Kerry that it will not accept his framework as it currently stands. (The Times of Israel)

Jewish American leaders send a letter to PM Netanyahu praising Kerry’s efforts. (The Jerusalem Post)

King Abdullah of Jordan urges Jewish American organizations to back Washington’s peace initiative. (The Jordan Times)

Israeli right-wing politicians take part in a demonstration against peace talks. (Xinhua/Ma’an/The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli forces kill a Palestinian man at the Gaza border. (Los Angeles Times/The New York Times)

Representatives of various Palestinian political parties meet in Gaza to discuss negotiations and national reconciliation. (Ma’an)

Hamas objects to UN human rights books in schools. (AP)

A Palestinian family in Hebron is suing the Israeli police for failure to act on evidence of tree vandalism. (Ha’aretz)

Israeli occupation forces raid a house in Bethlehem. (PNN)

Arab idol winner Assaf says he has been “banned” from singing at the World Cup ceremony. (Ma’an)

Washington hopes the Sochi Winter Olympics will force Pres. Putin’s hands on Syria. (Foreign Policy)

Russia rejects a proposal that could remove Pres. Assad from power. (The Wall Street Journal)

Syrian evacuees from Homs comment on their dire living conditions. (The Washington Post)

Barrel bombs wreak havoc in Aleppo's opposition-held neighborhoods . (The Los Angeles Times)

The UN halts the evacuation of civilians from the city of Homs. (AP)

11 people are killed in insurgent attacks in Iraq. (Xinhua) 

Bahrain arrests 29 people at the anniversary of the ongoing uprisings. (AP/Reuters)

Libyan PM Zeidan says the government is safe after an army statement. (Reuters/AFP)

Commentary:

Ha’aretz says the Knesset is doing everything in its power to thwart peace talks. (Ha’aretz)

Elliott Abrams says the US must demand that a future Palestinian state be democratic. (Council on Foreign Relations)

Thomas Friedman says Israelis ought to define what they mean by “the nation state of the Jewish people.” (The New York Times)

Bakir Oweida says the UN can and must do more for Palestinian refugees. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Yossi Sarid says, by rejecting the US-Palestinian anti-incitement proposal, Netanyahu’s government is perpetuating the conflict. (Ha’aretz)

Ben Caspit says Israeli FM Liberman has a secret plan to take over the Likud party. (Al-Monitor)

David Weinberg says the boycott threat against Israel has been inflated. (The Jerusalem Post) 

Noa Osterreicher says Economy Minister Bennett needs a “reality check.”  (Ha’aretz)

The Jerusalem Post says helping Palestinians solve their water issues is not only the right thing to do, but could provide considerable political gains. (The Jerusalem Post)

Ben Barber says compensating Jews from Arab countries may win their support for Kerry’s initiative. (McClatchy)

Barry Leff says the Jerusalem municipality’s planning approval for a Yeshiva council in an Arab neighborhood is more than bad timing.  (The Jerusalem Post)

David Ignatius says a regional accord that defuses the sectarian schism can end the war in Syria. (The Daily Star)

Eyad Abu Shakra blames the Syrian crisis on both American “retrenchment” and reported Iranian collusion with Al-Qaeda groups in Syria. (Asharq Alawsat)

Hassan Mneimneh says recent developments in Syria threaten to deal a serious blow to Al-Qaeda. (The German Marshall Fund)

Adel El-Adawy says the US is an indispensable partner for Egypt, and Russia cannot take its place. (The Washington Institute for Near East Policy)

Mieczyslaw Boduszynski and Kristin Fabbe say the US must speak up against the assaults on democracy in both Egypt and Turkey. (Christian Science Monitor)

José Ciro Martínez says Jordanians are showing signs of restlessness, and any instability in Jordan will reverberate in the whole region. (Los Angeles Times)

The Brookings Institute issues a new study called “The Arab World Learning Barometer”  which highlights shortcomings in educational access and learning among children and youth in the Arab world. (The Brookings Institute)
 

News:

Fatah considers appointing a deputy to Pres. Abbas. (Times of Israel)

Hamas says it will intensify discussions with Fatah in an effort to promote reconciliation.(Xinhua)

PM Netanyahu will meet Pres. Obama in Washington next month. (Xinhua/Ha’aretz)

The White House reaffirms Obama’s support for Sec. Kerry’s peace efforts. (The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli Economy Minister Bennett claims that well-intentioned peace efforts have the “opposite effect” provoking violence and instability. (Times of Israel)

FM Lieberman praises Kerry’s initiative. (Xinhua)

Israeli security forces are accused of using Palestinian children to gather intelligence. (ABC)

Despite DM Ya’alon’s pledge, unauthorized settlement construction continues in the occupied West Bank. (Ha’aretz)

Israeli ministers reject a controversial bill to annex settlements in the occupied West Bank. (Xinhua)

According to Palestinian factions, a political initiative is underway for rebel fighters to leave the Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria. (Xinhua)

An Israeli military airstrike targeting a Palestinian militant in Gaza leaves two wounded. (AP/The New York Times)

Jewish Israeli “price tag” extremists slash tires and spray graffiti in an Arab neighborhood in Jerusalem. (AP/Ma’an/Ha’aretz)

The PA is planning for an airport in the occupied West Bank and a seaport and railway line in the Gaza strip. (Ma’an/Ynet)

The Syrian peace talks resume in Geneva. (AP/Reuters/The New York Times)

France will introduce a resolution in the UN Security Council to help bring humanitarian aid to the Syrian people. (AP)

A rebel attack on a Syrian Alawite village kills 40 people. (AP)

Egypt accuses the Muslim Brotherhood of forming a military wing. (AP)

A Kuwaiti MP seeks to emulate the Saudi law against citizens fighting abroad. (Reuters)

One of their own truck bombs accidentally kills 25 Al-Qaeda extremists in Iraq. (Xinhua)

Iraqi Shiite militia, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, reportedly admits remobilizing in targeted killing. (The Washington Post)

Tunisia arrests a suspect in the assassination of opposition politician Brahmi. (BBC)

Commentary:

ATFP Pres. Ziad Asali says a new dynamic is developing in the Middle East that has the potential to build a better future for the Arab world. (Asharq Alawsat)

Hussein Ibish says some “BDS” rhetoric is harming European anti-settlement, pro-peace boycotts campaigns.  (The National)

Hanan Ashrawi says BDS empowers Palestinians and worldwide activists to stand for justice and human rights and against settlements. (Ha’aretz)

Moshe Arens says the BDS movement is an attempt to delegitimize Israel. (Ha’aretz)

Peter Joseph and Charles Bronfman say Kerry has proven himself to be a true and loyal friend of Israel. (The Jerusalem Post)

The New York Times says Netanyahu could face the possibility of having to form a new coalition if he really wants to move forward on a peace deal. (The New York Times)

Eitan Haber says Netanyahu will rely on the defense establishment in formulating his response to Kerry’s plan. (Ynet)

Ali Hashem interviews Fatah leader Jibril Rajoub during his visit to Iran. (Al-Monitor)

Oudeh Basharat says Israeli society pays the price for excluding Arabs by embracing racism and discrimination. (Ha’aretz)

The Jordan Times says the Jordanian government will secure its interests in any peace deal between the Palestinians and Israel. (The Jordan Times)

Amer Al Sabaileh complains about the lack of communication between the Jordanian government and the people over Kerry’s initiative. (The Jordan Times)

Renee Ghert-Zand says launching an Arabic site of the The Times of Israel can help build bridges between Jews and Arabs. (Forward)

Bassem Sabry says Gen. Sissi is poised to win presidency if he decides to run in the elections. (Al-Monitor)

Neil Hicks responds to a critical op-ed by Wael Nawara accusing the American “Working Group on Egypt” of offering bad advice. (Al-Monitor)

Ahmed Maher from inside a prison in Egypt accuses the US government of supporting oppression in his country. (The Washington Post)

Manuel Almeida says if Russia manages to maintain influence in Ukraine it might be less committed to Pres. Assad. (Asharq Alawsat)

News:

Israeli occupation forces evacuate Palestinian activists protesting in the West Bank. (AP)

Hamas struggles to rein in armed factions that are not completely under its control. (The Washington Post)

FM Lieberman calls Sec. Kerry a “true friend of Israel” and criticizes Economy Minister Bennett’s comments. (Ha’aretz)

UNRWA announces that a strike by its employees in the West Bank has ended. (The New York Times)

Aid agencies working in the occupied territories express concern over rise in Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes and property.(Reuters)

A Fatah Central Committee delegation arrives in Gaza to examine the state of the parties apparatus in Gaza. (Ma’an)

Malcolm Hoenlein calls on western governments to combat the growing BDS movement. (AP)

Israel is trying to include more Arabs in its tech sector. (AP)

The Syrian government will take part in a second round of peace talks in Geneva. (AP/Reuters)

Syria begins evacuating civilians from a besieged area in Homs. (Reuters)

The Syrian rebels free hundreds of prisoners in an attack on a prison. (AP)

A bombing and a shooting kill six people in Iraq. (AP/Xinhua)

A blast hits two police vehicles injuring six people in Egypt. (Xinhua)

PM Zeidan calls on Libyans to avoid violence in settling a standoff over the interim parliament. (Reuters)

World leaders attend a ceremony for the formal adoption of the new Tunisian Constitution. (AP/AFP)
 

Commentary:

The Jordan Times says no one will fooled by Netanyahu’s “Jewish state” demand. (The Jordan Times)

Ahmad Majdoubeh says Kerry’s plan is the last chance to rescue the two-state solution. (The Jordan Times)

Bakir Oweida says Kerry’s plan will likely fail, and the Palestinians and Israelis will have to coexist anyway. (Asharq Alawsat)

Yehezkel Dror says Israel should seize the opportunity in the changing Middle East for peace and reform. (Ha'aretz)

Rami Khouri says the SodaStream controversy highlights important Palestinian and international activism against the Israeli occupation. (The Jordan Times)

David Landau uses excerpts from Jewish religious texts to show how Israeli incitement works. (Ha'aretz)

Ha'aretz says a new proposed bill forcing schools to present Israel as a "Jewish state" is anti-democratic. (Ha'aretz)

Harold James says the Syrian war could have dire global consequences. (The Daily Star)

Michael Young says US Syria policy is in total meltdown. (The Daily Star)

Anne Applebaum likens Pres. Assad starving Syrians to killing them with a low-tech weapon of mass destruction. (The Washington Post)

Alan Philps says Russia is being seen as a supporter of Assad’s “kneel or starve” policy in Syria. (The National)

Sherif Mansour says arrests of journalists in Egypt are an attempt to bring back “Mubarak-era repression.” (The Washington Post)

Vivek Wadhwa says social media is excellent for democracy, but terrorists are also using it. (The Gulf News)

News:

Israelis and Palestinians argue over the percentage of West Bank land that Israel might annex in a peace agreement. (Times of Israel)

Israel’s chief negotiator Livni criticizes “hypocrites” in the government on the peace process. (The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli Economy Minister Bennett accuses the US of endangering the security of Israel. (Ha’aretz)

Former Fatah official Dahlan denies meeting with an Israeli official in Dubai. (Ma’an)

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

Palestinians blame social media for increasing divorce rates. (Xinhua)

The Syrian government and rebels reach an agreement over the besieged city of Homs. (Reuters)

The US reiterates its pledge to improve energy cooperation with Iraq. (Xinhua)

A car bomb kills 13 people in Baghdad. (AP)

American military officers are helping the Iraqi government retake Fallujah. (The New York TImes)

A former Iraqi general says PM Maliki is squandering the “Anbar Awakening.” (Foreign Policy)

Human Rights Watch says Iraqi forces sexually abuse women prisoners. (AFP)

The escalation of attacks in Egypt is blamed on the return of jihadists to the country. (The New York Times)

The Egyptian military denies report that Gen. Sissi is running for president. (AP)

Saudi Arabia aims at weakening ISIS and Muslim Brotherhood-linked groups in Syria. (The National)

The UAE might establish a government committee to fight online attacks, mostly on Twitter. (The National)

Turkey approves legislation that tightens government control over the internet. (AP/Reuters)
 

Commentary:

Matthew Duss says its entirely “defensible and necessary” to support boycotts against the Israeli occupation. (The American Prospect)

Ha’aretz says the Red Cross is signaling that Israel’s policy of demolitioning Palestinian buildings in the Jordan Valley has gone too far. (Ha’aretz)

Daniel Levy says Israel is on a slow-track trajectory to face painful sanctions. (Ha’aretz)

Anshel Pfeffer says Israel must end the occupation regardless of boycott campaigns. (Ha’aretz)

Naomi Paiss says boycotting settlements is not anti-Israeli. (JTA)

Ari Shavit says Israel is running into a headlong collision with the Obama administration unless it reinvents itself. (Ha’aretz)

Adi Schwartz says Israel must demand financial compensation for the Jews who were driven from Arab lands. (Ha’aretz)

Jay Rothman says the key to peace for Israelis and Palestinians is identity and mutual recognition. (The Jerusalem Post)

The Jordan Times says employing skilled Syrians in Jordan should not come at the expense of Jordanians. (The Jordan Times)

Michael Jansen says US military strikes in Syria will not end the conflict. (The Jordan Times)

The National says the new Saudi anti-terror law shows that the kingdom understands theseriousness of the terrorist threat. (The National)

Michael Young says the ongoing tumults in the Middle East will not redraw the Sykes-Picot borders. (The National)

Eyad Abu Shakra says the sectarian tensions in the Middle East have reached a point of no return. (Asharq Alawsat)

Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed says education and culture are the only ways to counter the growing threat of Al-Qaeda. (Asharq Alawsat)

NEWS:
 
PLO chief negotiator Erekat says no progress has been made in talks yet. (Ma'an)
 
Pres. Perez praises Sec. Kerry's peace efforts. (AFP) 
 
NSA Rice complains about "unfounded and unacceptable" criticism of Kerry by Israeli officials. (YNet) 
 
Palestinian refugees are fleeing the Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria. (AFP)
 
Palestinian diplomat Nasser al-Kidwa, deputy head of the international team running the Syria peace talks, is dismissed at the demand of the Syrian government. (Reuters)
 
The EU envoy to Israel warns of greater isolation if settlement activities continue. (AP) 
 
An Israeli court orders the state to explain why an extension to the separation barrier is dividing Palestinian towns. (Ha'aretz)
 
Hamas rejects Pres. Abbas' efforts to achieve peace with Israel. (Xinhua) 
 
Hamas redeploys its forces along the border with Israel. (Ma'an)
 
Islamic Jihad threatens to sabotage any peace agreement. (Times of Israel) 
 
Palestinians accuse Israeli settlers of attacking farms. (AP) 
 
Palestinians are planning to centralize their electricity sector. (The Media Line)
 
FIFA says Israel is finally helping to facilitate Palestinian soccer. (Ha'aretz)
 
An Israeli officer is killed near the Gaza border by "friendly fire." (Xinhua) 
 
Middle East scholar Barry Rubin dies at 64. (YNet) 
 
AIPAC's push for new sanctions against Iran appears to be blunted. (New York Times)
 
Kerry reportedly tells Congress US Syria policy is failing. (Daily Beast/Washington Post/Bloomberg) 
 
Russia says Syria is preparing to ship out some of its chemical weapons. (Reuters) 
 
Syrian government forces bomb a mosque, killing five people. (AP) 
 
Video of the arrest of journalists in Egypt is seen as a new threat to the media in that country. (New York Times)

Bombings around Baghdad kill seven people. (AP) 
 
The Iraqi government is giving away millions in food aid. (New York Times) 
 
Two are killed in an attack on a military bus in Yemen. (AP) 
 
Rebels and local tribesmen agree to a cease-fire in northern Yemen. (Reuters) 
 
Seven militants and a policeman are killed in a raid in Tunisia. (Reuters) 
 
A new suicide bombing in Beirut makes Hezbollah and Lebanese security forces seem impotent. (Christian Science Monitor) 
 
Pres. Obama will visit Saudi Arabia next month, where he will face significant diplomaticchallenges. (AP/AFP) 
 
Saudi Arabia makes it illegal for citizens to fight in foreign conflicts. (AP) 
 
Commentary:
 
Ha’aretz rebukes PM Netanyahu for disputing Kerry’s statement on the prospect of intensifying boycotts if peace talks fail. (Ha’aretz)
 
Akiva Eldar says settlers are growing increasingly nervous Netanyahu may plan to evacuate some of them. (Al Monitor) 
 
Caroline Glick calls Kerry’s statement on boycotts “anti-Semitic.”
(The Jerusalem Post)
 
The National says the boycott campaign against Israeli settlements is gaining momentum. (The National) 
 
Shaul Arieli says Netanyahu should agree to Kerry’s plan to further the “realistic goals of Zionism.” (Ha’aretz)
 
Hassan Barari says resigning could be Abbas' only option if he wants to avoid accepting or rejecting Kerry’s plan. (The Jordan Times) 

Elhanan Miller says Abbas is trapped between all kinds of difficult pressures. (Times of Israel) 
 
David Landau says Israel’s left must speak out in support of Kerry’s plan. (Ha’aretz)
 
Shlomo Avineri says settlers must vacate Palestinian land and relocate to the Israeli sovereignty. (The Jerusalem Post)
 
Roger Cohen expresses optimism on the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks. (The New York Times)
 
Peter Beaumont says Netanyahu might ultimately agree to Kerry’s plan because of his narrowed room of maneuverability. (The Gulf News)
 
Jonathan Schanzer says the balance of power in the Middle East is getting increasingly difficult to determine. (Foreign Policy) 

Faisal Al Yafai says Pres. Obama is focused on disengaging from the Middle East. (The National) 

Hassan Hassan says the Muslim Brotherhood was never "moderate," even though many Western academics claimed they were. (The National) 

Nervana Mahmoud says Gen. Sisi must focus on stabilizing the country if he becomes the next president. (Al-Monitor) 
 
Mshari Al-Zaydi criticizes former Pres. Morsi for the contempt of court that he showed in his trial. (Asharq Alawsat)
 
Gareth Smyth says Iran’s own reality is a major obstacle to realizing its economic goals. (The Daily Star) 

The Gulf News says Qatar must restrain cleric Qaradawi. (The Gulf News)
 
The Gulf News says the US should consider the interests of the other parties in its deal with Iran. (The Gulf News)
 
The Wall Street Journal says the US should help the “good Arab model” in Tunisia. (The Wall Street Journal)
 
Hussein Ibish asks if Libya's recent soccer victory could help reunite the country. (NOW)