News:

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators meet again with no sign of a breakthrough. (Reuters)

Pres. Obama will meet with Sec. Kerry to discuss the future of the peace talks. (AFP/Times of Israel)

FM Lieberman warns the Palestinians that a prisoner release will not happen as long as they try  to join international agencies. (AP/Ynet)

Pres. Abbas will ask the Arab League for economic aid. (Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post)

The Arab League says there is still a chance to move negotiations forward. (Ma’an)

The release of the Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti is linked to the peace talks. (New York Times)

Former Pres. Carter backs the PLO move to sign 15 conventions. (Ma’an)

Palestinians want Russia and the EU to change the format of peace talks. (Ynet)

Extremist Jewish settlers injure six Israeli soldiers and destroy a military post. (Xinhua/Ha’aretz/JTA)

Hamas leader Haniyeh warns Palestinian refugees in Lebanon against inter-Palestinian violence. (Ma’an)

Thousands of Palestinians living in occupied East Jerusalem have been living without water for over a month. (AP)

Israel’s High Court upholds a decision by the military to prevent a Palestinian olympian from leaving Gaza.  (AP/Ha’aretz)

King Abdullah of Jordan meets with Pope Francis. (AP/Jordan Times)

The World Food Program says Syrian wheat production has hit an all time low. (Reuters)

An Israeli official says Pres. Assad again used chemical weapons two weeks ago. (Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Syrian Information Minister Zoabi says the presidential election will not be delayed. (Reuters/Xinhua)

A gunman kills a Dutch priest in the Syrian city of Homs. (AP/New York Times)

Syria’s polio outbreak has now officially spread to Iraq. (New York Times)

Women activists in Egypt are worried that their rights in the new constitution have not yet been implemented. (AP)

PM Erdogan says Turkey’s next elected president will be a more powerful figure. (Reuters)

In parts of the Anbar province there will be no balloting due to fighting. (AP/Xinhua)

A young Iraqi hopes books will stop his peers from migrating. (Washington Post)

Commentary:

Hassan Barari says neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis are capable or willing to offer the concessions necessary for peace. (Jordan Times)

Aaron David Miller outlines five rules for saving Kerry’s initiative. (New Republic)

Dennis Ross provides his suggestions for how to move the process forward. (WINEP)

J.J. Goldberg says Palestinians have been easing the terms for renewing talks with Israel. (Jewish Daily Forward)

Klaus Schwab says there is a strong constituency in Israel and Palestine to make peace a reality. (Times of Israel)

Daniel Landes says ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a Jewish imperative. (Ha’aretz)

Nehemia Shtrasler says PM Netanyahu wants the peace talks to keep going but he will not give up the West Bank. (Ha’aretz)

Yoram Schweitzer, Benedetta Berti and Shlomo Brom look at the erosion of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza. (INSS)

The Daily Star says the violence that has erupted in the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon undermines their “legitimate struggle.” (Daily Star)

The Jordan Times says Syrian refugees in Jordan should not resort to violence. (Jordan Times)

The Los Angeles Times says the US should pressure Egypt to stop the crackdown on opposition groups. (Los Angeles Times)

H.A. Hellyer asks if there is a link between government policies and the rise of terrorism. (Al Arabiya)

Octavia Nasr says with every political battle, Lebanon sinks deeper into the abyss. (Al Arabiya)

The National says young Arabs are seeking to emulate the UAE’s success. (The National)

News:

News:

Sec. Kerry says Israeli and Palestinian leaders “must lead” to prevent peace talks from collapsing. (AP/Reuters/New York Times/AFP/Ha’aretz/Wall Street Journal)

Kerry calls Pres. Abbas to prevent talks from collapsing. (Ma’an)

A critical meeting between American Envoy Indyk and Palestinian and Israeli negotiators reportedly ended in failure. (PNN/Jerusalem Post)

A Palestinian official says talks with Israel can continue only if they define the borders of a future Palestinian state. (Times of Israel/The National)

US officials accuse Israeli Housing Minister Ariel of deliberately sabotaging talks. (Ha’aretz)
mitments. (Xinhua/Ynet)

Palestinian Representative to the UN Mansour delivers the treaty accession letters to the various bodies. (Xinhua)

There appears to be an American consensus that the release of convicted spy Pollard would be “futile.” (Ha’aretz)

American lawmakers threaten to withhold Palestinian aid. (Al Monitor)

Jewish “price tag” extremists vandalize 40 cars of Palestinian citizens of Israel. (Xinhua/Ma’an/Ha’aretz)

Employees of Israel’s Foreign Ministry announce end of their strike. (New York Times/Ynet)

Israel refuses to let a Gaza-based athlete run in a Bethlehem marathon. (Ha’aretz)

The UN says Syrian refugees in Lebanon now exceed 1 million. (AP/Reuters)

Turkey continues to block Twitter, despite a court ruling. (AP/Reuters)

The Muslim Brotherhood urges Britain not to yield to foreign pressure in conducting a review of the group.(Reuters)

PM Jomaa says he wants to “fix” the Tunisian economy. (AP)

Commentary:

The Jordan Times says the “delaying tactics” of both Israelis and Palestinians are too familiar to be taken seriously. (Jordan Times)

Abdallah Schleifer says the only option for Israelis and Palestinians is a two-state solution. (Al Arabiya)

Grant Rumley says Abbas’ move to seek membership in 15 international organizations does not necessarily mean the end of the peace process. (Foreign Policy)

Ha’aretz asks where is PM Netanyahu leading Israel. (Ha’aretz)

Ari Shavit says Kerry must find a “Plan B” to deliver peace to Israel and the Palestinians. (Ha’aretz)

Douglas Bloomfield says Palestinians and Israelis should both be blamed for the failure of the peace talks. (Jerusalem Post)

David Horovitz says the deep asymmetry between Israelis and Palestinians is “dooming the negotiations.” (Times of Israel)

Joyce Karam says releasing convicted spy Pollard will not save the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. (Al Arabiya)

Peter Beinart says Sheldon Adelson represents a “culture of hate.” (Ha’aretz)

The Washington Post says the US will not be judged well by historians because it failed to stop the “mass slaughter” in Syria. (Washington Post)

The National asks what more can the UAE do in Syria. (The National)

Taylor Luck says this week marks the anniversary when the international community failed the entire Syrian population. (Jordan Times)

Mohammed Fahad al-Harthi says Pres. Obama’s visit to Saudi Arabia affirms the strategic relationship between the US and the Kingdom.(Al Arabiya)

Mshari Al-Zaydi says the UK’s recent moves against it are a turning point in the history of the Muslim Brotherhood. (Asharq al-Awsat)

News:

Pres. Abbas submits applications for Palestine to join 15 international conventions and agencies.(Reuters/New York Times/Ha’aretz)

Israeli Ministers warn of punitive action if the PLO pursues efforts to join international agencies. (AFP/Times of Israel)

Sec. Kerry vows to push peace talks forward but cancels his visit to Ramallah.(AP/PNN/Ha’aretz/The National)

US officials say Kerry feels he has “gone as far as he can” for Middle East peace.(Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post)

A Palestinian official says they do not want Kerry’s initiative to fail. (AP)

The Arab League calls for an emergency meeting on April 9th to discuss Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. (AFP)

Veteran Palestinian prisoners support Abbas’ applications. (Ma’an)

Israel publishes tenders for 708 settlement units in occupied East Jerusalem. (Xinhua/Ha’aretz)

Pres. Obama faces stiff opposition to freeing convicted spy Pollard. (Jerusalem Post/Reuters/Times of Israel)

The ex-wife of convicted spy Pollard urges the Israeli government to secure his release. (AP)

Hamas rejects the extension of the peace talks. (Ma’an/Jerusalem Post)

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

Extremist Jewish settlers assault Palestinian worshipers after they stormed the Al-Aqsa mosque. (PNN)

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the death toll in the Syrian conflict has exceeded 150,000. (AP/The National)

An Egyptian police officer is killed in a bombing outside Cairo University. (Reuters/AP)

Parliamentary election campaigns start in Iraq. (AP/AFP)

Commentary:

Osama Al Sharif says Abbas will probably accept an extension to the peace talks. (Jordan Times)

Bassem Khoury says the PLO’s unanimous vote to resume efforts at international recognition means roles have changed. (Ha’aretz)

Yossi Mekelberg says Israel has to bear more of the responsibility for the failure of the peace talks. (Al Arabiya)

The New York Times says releasing convicted spy Pollard is a bad idea. (New York Times)

The Washington Post says the US should refrain from releasing Pollard. (Washington Post)

The Los Angeles Times says the US should not try to salvage the peace talks by releasing Pollard. (Los Angeles Times)

The Jewish Daily Forward says pardoning Pollard is “unwise.” (Jewish Daily Forward)

Aaron David MIller says releasing Pollard will not save the peace process. (Time)

Dennis Ross says Pollard’s release seems to be justified. (Time)

Peter Feaver asks if releasing a convicted spy will help the US secure Middle East peace. (Foreign Policy)

Ruth Marcus says the US should free Pollard. (Washington Post)

Anshel Pfeffer says if Pollard is released Israel should not accord him a hero’s welcome. (Ha’aretz)

Matthew Kalman says yesterday’s appeal by Abbas’ to international bodies to recognize the state of Palestine is a “masterstroke.” (Ha’aretz)

Rami Khouri says Israel is facing a backlash in the US. (The Daily Star)

Khaled Diab says ending the Gaza blockade is both the “principled and pragmatic” thing to do. (The National)

Eyal Benvenisti says FM Lieberman’s plan to transfer Arab areas to a future Palestinian state violates Israel’s basic obligation as a democratic state. (Ha’aretz)

Michael Young says Russia has kept Pres. Assad in power and now it’s stuck with him. (The National)

Manuel Almeida says the Assad regime is discrediting international law by exploiting every opportunity to use it in its favor. (Asharq al-Awsat)

Jonathan Schanzer and Emanuele Ottolenghi say PM Erdogan should be worried about how corruption allegations will damage Turkey’s standing in the West. (Foreign Policy)

News:

Sec. Kerry returns to the Middle East to try to salvage the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.(AP/Reuters/Ha’aretz)

Kerry may be suggesting language about Israel as a “Jewish homeland.” (Ynet)

Israel offers to free more Palestinian prisoners to extend peace talks. (AFP/Ha’aretz)

Released Palestinian prisoners remake their lives after years in an Israeli prison. (New York Times)

Palestinians are evaluating their options should peace talks fail. (Washington Post)

DM Ya’alon praises Israel’s ties to the Pentagon in an effort to mend relations. (Xinhua/Ha’aretz)

Czech police say the late Palestinian Ambassador was holding an explosive device when he died. (New York Times)

Israel confiscates 300 Dunams of land in the occupied West Bank for settlements. (Ma’an)

Gaza’s crossing to Egypt reopens after a 50-day closure. (The National)

A Palestinian is injured by Jewish settlers in Jerusalem. (PNN)

Palestinians commemorate Land Day. (Xinhua/Ma’an/AFP)

Former Israeli PM Olmert is convicted of taking bribes. (New York Times/Ha’aretz)

The Syrian regime accuses Turkey of sending foreign fighters to Latakia. (AP)

Hezbollah leader Nasrallah says his forces were late in joining the conflict in Syria. (The National)

Egyptians will elect a new president in late May. (AP/Washington Post/The National)

An Egyptian court sentences 33 Muslim Brotherhood members. (AP)

Pres. Obama tells Saudi King he will not agree to a bad deal with Iran. (Chicago Tribune)

PM Erdogan comes out as a winner in contentious local election.(AP/Washington)

Commentary:

Hussein Ibish says both Israel and the Palestinian need  “tough love.” (The National)

Lara Friedman says Israeli and Palestinian leaders need to find a recognition formula that reconciles two opposing national narratives. (Ha’aretz)

Amer Al Sabaileh questions the ability of Pres. Abbas to be a real leader for Palestinians. (Jordan Times)

Jackson Diehl says Kerry’s “profound misreading” of the Middle East is enabling the “bad guys.” (Washington Post)

Yitzhak Laor says Israel needs no recognition as the “Jewish state.” (Ha’aretz)

Amal Mousa says the discourse and culture of death has not brought Hamas any significant results.(Asharq al-Awsat)

Oudeh Basharat says Palestinian citizens of Israel can achieve a just distribution of resources. (Ha’aretz)

Rami Khouri says he is saddened that Gen. Sisi’s supporters are using images of the late Pres. Nasser. (Daily Star)

H.A. Hellyer says Sisi’s presidential bid leaves a number of crucial questions unanswered. (Al Arabiya)

Simon Henderson says Prince Bandar bin Sultan remains the key player in the US-Saudi relationship. (Foreign Policy)

Diana Moukalled asks why the Syrian crisis needs a celebrity ambassador. (Asharq al-Awsat)

Michael Karam says Lebanon must address its own health if it wants to promote health tourism. (The National)

News:

The US is attempting to salvage the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.(JTA)

Sec. Kerry will meet with Pres. Abbas in Jordan to discuss peace talks. (AP/New York Times/Washington Post/Ha’aretz)

The Arab League rejects recognizing Israel as a “Jewish state.” (AP/AFP/PNN/Ha’aretz)

Abbas says he is satisfied with the Arab League resolutions related to Palestine. (Ma’an)

Israel is excluded from the US visa waiver program because of discrimination against Arab Americans.  (JTA)

The US denies plans to free convicted spy Jonathan Pollard as an inducement to Israel. (Ha’aretz/Ynet)

Israel opens fire on two suspected smuggling boats off the Gaza coast. (AP/Xinhua/Ha’aretz)

Israeli occupation forces destroy a mosque, medical center and apartments in East Jerusalem. (Ma’an)

Extremist Jewish settlers uproot 400 olive trees near Ramallah. (PNN)

Israeli occupation forces detain 13 Palestinians in the West Bank. (Ma’an)

The newly released minutes of the Camp David Israeli-Egyptian summit show how the parties overcame distrust. (Ha’aretz)

Palestinian citizens of Israel are reportedly receiving better treatment at Israeli airports. (Ha’aretz)

East Jerusalem residents petition Israel’s High Court over insufficient water supplies. (Jerusalem Post)

A Palestinian ISP offers a new option for broadband in the West Bank.(The Wall Street Journal)

The Arab League pledge to end divisions. (Reuters)

The US says the Syrian regime is mostly to blame for disruption of aid. (Reuters)

The US is concerned Al-Qaeda may be using Syria to prepare attacks elsewhere. (New York Times)

Gen. Sisi resigns as Egypt’s Defense Minister. (Reuters)

A Turkish court orders halt to Twitter ban. (AP)

Commentary:

Martin Raffel says there must be equality for Palestinian citizens of Israel. (The Jewish Week)

Ha’aretz says FM Lieberman’s idea about population transfer should be considered “ethnic cleansing.” (Ha’aretz)

Danny Danon threatens to resign his position if more Palestinian prisoners are freed. (JTA)

Zvi Bar’el says the demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a “Jewish state” stems from angst about the country’s identity. (Ha’aretz)

Yossi Mekelberg says the Syrian regime and Israel are edging towards the brink of conflict. (Al Arabiya)

Osama al Sharif says the Arab League has failed to promote development.(Jordan Times)

Ali Ibrahim looks at the collective Arab economic potential. (Asharq al-Awsat)

The Jordan Times says Jordan has made nuclear security and cooperation a priority. (Jordan Times)

Kirk Sowell says PM Maliki is using a budget dispute to boost his third-term prospects. (The National)

Diana Moukalled says by fighting Twitter PM Erdogan may well have committed a “cardinal sin.” (Al Arabiya)

Michael Singh says the US should defend rather than dismiss the arguments in favor of zero enrichment for Iran. (Foreign Policy)

News:

Sec. Kerry holds “constructive talks” with Pres. Abbas in Amman. (AP/New York Times/AFP/Ha’aretz)

King Abdullah of Jordan reiterates his support for the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. (Xinhua/Jordan Times)

Hamas criticizes the Arab League for not urging an end to the Gaza blockade. (Xinhua)

Economy Minister Bennett says the fourth release of Palestinian prisoners must be renegotiated. (PNN/Jerusalem Post)

Israeli occupation forces kill three Palestinians in the West Bank. (Reuters)

An Israeli soldier admits to the police that he made up the story of being stabbed by Palestinians in Jerusalem. (Ma’an/Ha’aretz)

B’Tselem says Israel is at fault for the killing of a Palestinian teenager in the West Bank. (Ynet)

Israel’s Transportation Ministry earmarks $57 million for roads in the occupied West Bank. (Ha’aretz)

Al-Quds University president Nusseibeh resigns. (Times of Israel)

The King’s College Student Union in London backs a boycott of Israel. (Ha’aretz)

Syrian warplanes bomb rebels in Latakia. (AP)

US lawmakers criticize the Obama Administration’s policy on Syria. (Reuters)

Gen. Sisi says he will run for Egypt’s presidency. (AP/Reuters/New York Times/Washington Post)

Gunmen kill a Lebanese army officer in Tripoli. (AP)

An Amnesty International study indicates a rise in executions worldwide in 2013. (New York Times)

An advocacy group says the US must help repair “environmental poisoning” in Iraq from the war. (New York Times)

Commentary:

ATFP Pres. Ziad Asali addresses the UN on the obstacles and opportunities for peace. (ATFP)

Aaron David Miller outlines five reasons why the peace process seems in trouble. (Foreign Policy)

Daniel Levy says Kerry’s initiative is a step backwards. (Ha’aretz)

Ari Shavit says Israel’s old left cannot end the occupation. (Ha’aretz)

Peter Joseph asks where is the Jewish American outrage over DM Ya’alon’s remarks. (Ha’aretz)

Michael Kaplan says Palestinian and Jewish refugees should not be compared. (Jewish Daily Forward)

The Daily Star says the Arab League is having a “summit of irrelevance.”(Daily Star)

Michael Young says there are many reasons why Pres. Assad is stronger now than ever. (The National)

Michael Young asks why the magnitude of the suffering in Syria continues to provoke little outrage in the West. (Daily Star)

Robert Hunter says Pres. Obama’s trip to Saudi Arabia should aim to reaffirm commitments on both sides. (Majalla)

Joyce Karam says Obama’s visit to Saudi Arabia is crucial in restoring balance to the Middle East. (Al Arabiya)

Caryle Murphy says Saudi Arabia should implement a gradual but genuine power sharing. (New York Times)

Hilary Krieger says, by banning a reporter, Saudi Arabia is sending a mixed message about the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. (Washington Post)

Abdallah Schleifer says Sisi has won the presidential race before it has begun. (Al Arabiya)

Steven Cook says if Sisi becomes president he will be vulnerable to all the forces that befell his predecessors. (Foreign Policy)

Nathan Brown looks at the relationship between the Egyptian judiciary and state. (SADA)

Louisa Loveluck says there are 529 reasons to doubt the Egyptian justice system. (New York Times)

Eyad Abu Shakra says the Lebanese are always the last to know who will be their next president.(Asharq al-Awsat)