News:

Unnamed American officials reportedly primarily blame Israel’s continued settlement expansion for the failure of the peace talks. (Ynet/Times of Israel)

Pres. Abbas and Hamas leader Meshaal will hold talks in Doha. (Ma’an/AFP)

Palestinians are pushing to internationally brand Israel as the “occupier of Palestine.” (New York Times)

PM Netanyahu defends his plans for law defining Israel as a “Jewish state.” (AFP/Ynet)

Special Envoy Indyk may resign. (Ha’aretz)

The PLO joins five UN global treaties. (JTA)

Jewish “price tag” extremists vandalize a car in Israel and uproot olive trees in the occupied West Bank. (Ma’an/Ha’aretz)

DM Ya’alon calls on Israeli authorities to crack down on perpetrators of “price tag” attacks. (Times of Israel)

Islamic Jihad gains new traction against rivals Hamas in the Gaza strip. (New York Times)

3,000 PA police may begin to operate in Gaza as part of the unity deal. (Ma’an/Ha’aretz)

Israel remembers its fallen soldiers. (AP/Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post) 

Israeli soldiers express frustration about their service in the occupied West Bank. (AP)

A new Yeshiva will open in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ynet/Reuters)

Ramallah celebrates Palestine Fashion Week 2014. (AP)

A PLO delegation heads to Syria to check on the conditions of Palestinian refugees. (Ma’an)

Syrian government forces kill 21 rebels in Aleppo. (AP)

Pres. Assad will face two other candidates in the Syrian Presidential election. (AP)

Persistent differences between Saudi Arabia and the US are hurting Syria policy. (Reuters/The National)

Turkey builds a wall to secure the border with Syria. (Reuters)

Educated women in Jordan face a shortage of jobs. (New York Times)

An Egyptian al-Qaeda inspired group claims responsibility for two attacks. (AP/Xinhua)

The Libyan Parliament swears-in new PM Ahmed Matiq under highly controversial circumstances.. (AP/Reuters/New York Times/The National)

The World Health Organization says polio is spreading at an alarming rate. (New York Times)

Qatar will launch a new tv satellite station to be run by Azmi Bishara. (The National)

Commentary:

Hussein Ibish says Palestinian unity agreement faces significant obstacles. (The National)

Rami Khouri says this a time of opportunity for Palestinians on three important fronts. (Daily Star)

Baraka El-Farra and Amine Kammourieh debate if Israel alone, or Sec. Kerry also, are responsible for undermining peace talks. (Asharq al-Awsat)

The Washington Post says its time for “a more pragmatic approach” in the Middle East. (Washington Post)

Mahmoud Jaraba and Lihi Ben Shitrit say the latest escalation in the Abbas-Dahlan dispute highlights the “bitter succession” fight in Fatah. (Daily Star)

Uzi Baram explains why he thinks Zionism has become a “dirty word.” (Ha’aretz)

Amer Al Sabaileh says Palestinian reconciliation is in everybody’s interest. (Jordan Times)

Samih Shabib and Khalil Shaheen debate if the Gaza agreement will result in a real unity government. (Asharq al-Awsat)

Sharif Nashashibi says we must acknowledge Israeli “apartheid,” (Al Arabiya)

Hussein Abu Hussein says Palestinian citizens of Israel wonder why Israel’s law enforcement’s resourcefulness disappear when it comes to “price tag” attacks. (Ha’aretz)

Amira Hass asks if Israeli authorities are really against “price tag” attacks. (Ha’aretz)

Fred Hiatt asks why the US stands by so “idly” on Syria. (Washington Post)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed says Iraqi political pluralism, and the real diversity of top figures and parties, are worth appreciating. (Al Arabiya)

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)

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)

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)