News:

Sec. Kerry cites "some progress" in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, but warns of the prospect of failure. (AP/Washington Post)

Kerry ends his trip without yet securing a framework agreement. (AFP)

FM Lieberman says Kerry's offer is "the best Israel is going to get." (Ha'aretz/Times of Israel)

Kerry seeks and gets Saudi endorsement for his peace efforts. (Xinhua/Jerusalem Post)

Kerry thanks the Saudi King for his "enthusiastic support" of the peace process. (State Department/The Guardian)

Former Mossad chief Dagan says Israel doesn't need to keep the Jordan Valley. (Times of Israel)

Israel issues demolition orders for a large group of Palestinian buildings in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ma'an)

The Jordan Valley continues to be a key sticking point between Israelis and Palestinians. (New York Times)

Palestinian citizens of Israel reject Lieberman's proposal to include many of their towns in a land swap. (Jerusalem Post)

Pope Francis will visit the "holy land" in May. (BBC)

Israeli rights groups accuse authorities of continuing to torture Palestinians despite a court order. (Jerusalem Post)

Israeli settlers attack a school and a reservoir near Nablus. (Ma'an)

Palestinian farmers clash with attacking settlers near Hebron. (Ma'an)

Human Rights Watch says a Palestinian teenager shot by Israeli soldiers "posed no threat." (Ma'an)

12 weapons found at the Palestinian mission in Prague were "legal." (Ap)

The Palestine Power Generation Company signs a 20-year-deal with Israeli and American natural gas companies. (Ma'an/Xinhua)

Israel denies it killed all those responsible in a 1994 bombing in Argentina. (JTA)

Former PM Sharon's health continues to rapidly decline. (Reuters/AP)

A new "post-US" Middle East seems to be emerging in which militants thrive. (New York Times)

The NYT profiles the life and death of a key Hezbollah operative. (New York Times)

Almost all other Sunni rebel groups attack the extremist ISIS militia. (ISW/Financial Times)

Fighting between Syrian rebels spreads through the east of the country. (AP)

Kerry says Iran may have a role in upcoming Syrian peace talks. (New York Times)

The US Embassy issues a warning to Americans in Lebanon. (AP)

Iraqi soldiers and tribesmen are making progress in pushing back Al Qaeda in key Western cities. (New York Times)

17 are killed in more bomb attacks in Baghdad. (Xinhua)

The Muslim Brotherhood is fighting to survive in Egypt. (New York Times)

Two prominent secular activists in Egypt get one-year suspended sentences for arson. (Ahram Online)

Egypt summons the Qatari ambassador in Cairo, after Doha issues a pro-Muslim Brotherhood statement. (AP/Xinhua)

Commentary:

Looking at Israel's "Jewish character," Bernard Avishai says it is the only country that "does not recognize itself." (The New Yorker)

Leonard Fein says supporters of a two-state solution should boycott the Israeli settlement of Ariel. (The Forward)

The Jerusalem Post praises Kerry's efforts. (Jerusalem Post)

Oudeh Basharat says Kerry is part of the problem, not the solution. (Ha'aretz)

Hassan Barari says many Jordanians are deeply concerned an Israeli-Palestinian deal would be at their expense. (Arab News)

Avi Issacharoff says Israeli and Palestinian red lines make a Kerry-brokered deal unlikely. (Times of Israel)

Ha'aretz says Lieberman has once again thrown a wrench in the works by trying to push Palestinian towns in Israel into a Palestinian state. (Ha'aretz)

Ami Ayalon says it's time for Jordan Valley settlers to come home to Israel. (YNet)

Anat Matar says, unlike Palestinians, Israeli soldiers and settlers with blood on their hands almost never serve time in prison. (Ha'aretz)

Yitzhak Laor says, for Israel, Palestinian blood is cheap. (Ha'aretz)

Haviv Rettig Gur looks at how Netanyahu runs the Israeli government. (Times of Israel)

Christa Case Bryant says Israelis are still struggling to define the legacy of Sharon. (Christian Science Monitor)

Marit Danon says she turned from an ardent Sharon critic to a devoted fan. (YNet)

Ben Caspit says Sharon's decisions crucially shaped contemporary Israel. (Al Monitor)

Hussein Ibish calls the Israeli-Palestinian squabble over Jesus "ridiculous." (The National)

Seth Lipsky says Sharon had an uncanny ability to connect with people who instinctively didn't like him. (Ha'aretz)

Vali Nasr asks if Turkey is emerging as Iran's latest ally. (New York Times)

Daniel Benjamin and Steven Simon say Egypt's interim government has gone too far in suppressing the Muslim Brotherhood and may create a new form of extremism. (New York Times)

Omer Aziz says the world must hold Qatar to account for treatment of laborers, especially in connection with the World Cup. (New York Times)

The Daily Star says the uprising against Al Qaeda in Syria must not be allowed to be another missed opportunity. (The Daily Star)

Nicholas Blanford says the Assad regime may survive. (Christian Science Monitor)

Michael Weiss describes how the US Syria policy "fell apart." (Politico)

Faeq Muneef says a deadlier strain than ever of Al Qaeda has emerged in Syria. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Bruce Riedel looks at the continuing evolution of Al Qaeda "3.0." (Al Monitor)

Patricio Asfura-Heim and Christopher Steinitz ask if anyone can stop Lebanon's descent into chaos. (Foreign Policy)

The National accuses PM Al-Maliki of "sectarian politics" in Iraq. (The National)

Sinan Ulgen thinks Turkey can help bridge some Middle Eastern divisions. (The Daily Star)

Mustafa Akyol explains Turkey's AKP-Gulen conflict. (Al Monitor)

Asharq Al-Awsat interviews Bahrain's public security chief Maj. Gen. Tarek Al Hasan. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Abdullah Al Shayji says Gulf states and other Arabs were shocked by the US "flippant" attitude in 2013. (Gulf News)

News:

Sec. Kerry returns to the Middle East for more peace efforts. (AFP)

PM Netanyahu greets Kerry with a barrage of criticism against Palestinians. (New York Times)

FM Lieberman, in contrast to his earlier attitudes, praises Kerry's efforts. (Ha'aretz)

Kerry insists peace is still possible. (Ma'an/AP)

The PLO says it will not accept any "worthless" framework agreement. (Jerusalem Post)

Jordan says any Israeli annexation of the Jordan Valley would violate the peace agreement between the two countries. (Jerusalem Post)

A Palestinian teenager is killed in clashes with Israeli forces near the Gaza border. (Xinhua)

Israel confirms it has launched an airstrike on Gaza. (Xinhua/AFP)

Hamas says it does not want a further conflict with Israel. (Times of Israel)

Egypt accuses Hamas of complicity in the bombing of the security headquarters in Mansoura. (Ahram Online)

Hamas rejects Egyptian accusations it aided attacks against the country. (Xinhua)

The daughter of the Palestinian ambassador in Prague calls his death suspicious and says hemay have been assassinated. (AP/Ma'an)

PLO mission staff say they are not aware of any explosive device in the building. (The Guardian)

A stockpile of weapons was found in the PLO mission where the ambassador was killed. (AP/Reuters)

Residents in Prague want the PLO mission moved after the explosion. (Xinhua)

Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat reportedly says he fears Pres. Abbas might be killed by Israel. (Ma'an)

Israeli analysts say Hezbollah is moving long-range rockets from Syria to Lebanon. (New York Times)

US analysts also say Hezbollah is beefing up its arsenal in case of a conflict with Israel. (Times of Israel)

A former Israeli envoy to Argentina says Israel has killed most of those responsible for a 1994 Buenos Aires bombing. (Times of Israel)

Israel conducts a second test of a new ballistic missile interceptor. (Xinhua)

Three UNRWA employees are hospitalized while on hunger strike. (Ma'an)

A museum dedicated to Palestinian culture and identity is set to open in the occupied West Bank in 2015. (The Forward)

Google will fund a new scholarship at Ben-Gurion University. (JTA)

A new car bomb in Hezbollah's stronghold in Beirut kills six and raises further tensions in Lebanon. (AP/Xinhua/New York Times)

Former PM Sharon's health condition is deteriorating and he appears near death. (AP)

Years after going into a coma, Sharon remains a highly polarizing figure in Israel. (Christian Science Monitor)

Two more Americans are arrested in Libya. (AP)

Al Qaeda is making a resurgence in key Iraqi cities. (New York Times/AP)

Egyptian authorities broadcast what they say is a confession by the son of a Muslim Brotherhood leader on terrorism. (AP)

Egyptian police are investigating a TV puppet for "terrorism." (New York Times/Washington Post)

US-Iranian tensions continue to simmer despite ongoing nuclear talks. (Christian Science Monitor)

Analysts see a mismatch in commitments by allies of both sides behind the resurgence of the Syrian dictatorship. (Wall Street Journal)

An Israeli study suggests there are more foreign Shiite than Sunni fighters participating in the Syrian conflict. (IIHCC/Washington Post)

Commentary:

Yehezkel Dror says Israel must now at last relinquish the dream of a "Greater Israel." (Ha'aretz)

Barak Ravid says the ball is now squarely in Netanyahu and Abbas' court and they must choose. (Ha'aretz)

Chemi Shalev says that Netanyahu is having more trouble with the concept of the 1967 borders then Sharon did. (Ha'aretz)

Mitch Ginsburg says Jordan Valley settlers live under the constant specter of possible evacuation. (Times of Israel)

Mick Davis says rejecting two states endangers both Israel and the Jewish diaspora. (Ha'aretz)

Jackson Diehl says Kerry may make progress on a framework agreement, as long as details are avoided. (Washington Post)

Yoaz Hendel says the release of Palestinian prisoners from occupied East Jerusalem shows Israel's quandary over the city. (YNet)

Peter Beinart says 2014 may prove the year the Jewish-American leadership loses control over the Israel issue. (Ha'aretz)

Patrick Maisonnave says EU still wants to remain close to Israel, if Israel cooperates. (Ha'aretz)

Matthew Gould says flourishing ties between Britain and Israel are the best answer to boycotts. (YNet)

Matthew Bunn and Frederick McGoldrick say the US should be flexible on Iran's civilian nuclear program. (Los Angeles Times)

Eyad Abu Shakra says 2014 will be a year of anxiety throughout the Arab world. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Rami Khouri identifies four markers to follow in the Middle East in 2014. (The Daily Star)

Osama Al Sharif also provides an overview of 2013 and predictions for 2014. (Arab News)

The Daily Star says Lebanon is facing its last chance to form a government and avoid total collapse. (The Daily Star)

Jean Aziz says two recent bombing attacks in Lebanon might be linked. (Al Monitor)

Alan Phillips says the rest of the region could learn much from Iraqi Kurdish pragmatism. (The National)

Marwan Asmar says the Syrian regime is digging in for the long haul. (Gulf News)

Annia Ciezadlo profiles Syrian dictator Al-Assad. (The New Republic)

Michael Weiss describes how Pres. Obama's "Syria policy fell apart." (Politico)

H A Hellyer says the revolutionary driving forces behind the 2011 Egyptian "revolution" need to find a new approach. (The National)

Caryle Murphy says women in the Gulf states have nowhere to go but up. (Asharq Al Awsat)

News:

Sec. Kerry is returning to the region for more work on peace talks. (The Guardian)

Israel is preparing to release 26 long-serving Palestinian prisoners. (AP)

The EU again warns Israel about a planned wave of new settlement construction. (Ha'aretz/Times of Israel)

Israel's chief negotiator Livni says settlement construction hurts peace prospects. (Xinhua)

Livni also again warns lack of peace threatens Israel's economy and other interests. (YNet)

Israeli left-wingers also slam settlement construction. (Xinhua)

Rumors continue to spread of a trade-off between Palestinian recognition of Israel's Jewish character for Israel's recognition of the 1967 borders as the basis for peace. (Times of Israel)

An Israeli ministerial committee approves pending legislation to annex the Jordan Valley. (Xinhua)

PM Netanyahu urges Likud MKs to vote against the proposed bill. (Ha'aretz)

Palestinians say any such annexation would "kill peace." (Xinhua/Ma'an)

Israeli occupation forces arrest nine Palestinians in the West Bank on Sunday. (Ma'an)

The PLO urges Hamas to sever its ties with the Muslim Brotherhood. (Ma'an)

Russian experts confirm their earlier reports that the late Pres. Arafat died of natural causes. (PNN)

A Fatah official urges Palestinians to choose "smart resistance" in 2014. (Ma'an)

The UN is seeking access to Palestinians in Syria after 15 die of hunger. (Reuters/AFP)

There is an exchange of rocket fire over the Israeli-Lebanese border. (New York Times)

American Jewish student groups are testing the limits of "permissible" discourse on Israel. (New York Times)

Low turnout at the funeral for a moderate Lebanese leader recently assassinated showsebbing national morale. (New York Times)

Saudi Arabia pledges $3 billion to beef up the Lebanese military. (AP)

Lebanese forces fire on Syrian aircraft violating Lebanese airspace. (AP)

Syria appears behind schedule in the effort to decommission its chemical weapons. (New York Times)

14 are killed in bombings and shootings in Iraq on Sunday. (AP)

Bahrain says it has foiled smuggling and terrorist plots. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia is strengthening its ties with France and other non-American allies. (AP)

Sources say Egypt is likely to hold presidential elections before parliamentary ones. (Reuters)

Egyptian Christians live lives of increasing fear. (BBC)

The CSM profiles the Gulen movement, whose break with PM Erdogan has sparked a political crisis in Turkey. (Christian Science Monitor)

Maverick journalists in Gaza are aiming to shake up Palestinian media. (The Media Line)

Commentary:

Ha'aretz says it is the Palestinians, not Israel, that lack a real peace partner. (Ha'aretz)

Hassan Barari says Netanyahu's settlement policies are a key hurdle in peace talks. (Arab News)

Amer Al Sabaileh looks at Jordan's role in any potential peace agreement. (Jordan Times)

J.J. Goldberg asks if Netanyahu is abandoning his posture as a peace-seeker altogether. (The Forward)

John Whitbeck critiques Israel's demands Palestinians recognize it as a "Jewish state." (Jordan Times)

Amira Hass describes the systematic harassment of Palestinian villagers by Israeli settlers and troops alike. (Ha'aretz)

Janne Louise Andersen surveys the past year in Palestinian hip-hop. (Al Monitor)

Theodore Bikel says Israel must develop the Negev desert for all its citizens, Jewish and Arab. (JTA)

David Horovitz interviews former Israeli ambassador Michael Oren. (Times of Israel)

Felice Friedson interviews new Labor Party leader Herzog. (The Media Line)

Amos Harel says Israel faces dangerous new strategic realities. (Ha'aretz)

Yoel Guzansky says there's a real basis for increased Israeli-Saudi cooperation. (Jerusalem Post)

Kristian Coates Ulrichsen says US-Iranian nuclear talks might be a game changer in US-Israeli relations, but Munira Fakhro thinks otherwise. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Jeremy Bowen says the deepening Sunni-Shiite split bodes ill for the Arab world. (BBC)

Kim Ghattas says the recent assassination of a moderate Lebanese politician shows the country is being dragged into the Syrian conflict. (BBC)

Rami Khouri says the Chatah assassination shows no parts of Lebanon are off-limits in the brewing conflict. (The Daily Star)

Mohamed Abdel Salam says universities are Egypt's new battleground. (The Daily Star)

Oussama Romdhani looks at Tunisia's political transition plan. (Al Monitor)

Hanin Ghaddar says Qatari foreign policy is now at a crossroads. (NOW)

Asharq Al-Awsat interviews Houthi Movement spokesman Ali Al-Bakhiti on the rebellion in Yemen. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Hussein Ibish looks at the resurgence of Al Qaeda in the Syrian war and elsewhere. (NOW)

Samir Salha says the Gülen-Erdoğan split is now a no holds barred confrontation. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

News:

The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank in 2013, 27, is the highest in five years. (Xinhua/Ma'an/AFP)

The State Department says Sec. Kerry will offer the parties the outlines of a final statuspeace agreement. (AP)

The American proposal will reportedly cover all final status issues. (Times of Israel)

PM Netanyahu tries to calm right-wing Israeli fears about Kerry's planned proposal. (Ha'aretz)

An Israeli cabinet minister vows to establish a new settlement in the context of Kerry's visit. (Times of Israel)

Suspected Jewish extremists burn three Palestinian cars and spray graffiti against Kerryand threatening violence. (Xinhua/Ma'an/AP)

A human rights group warns Israel will pay a price for settler violence. (Christian Science Monitor)

Israel releases 26 long-serving Palestinian prisoners, while vowing more settlement activity. (AP)

32 "pre-Oslo" Palestinian prisoners remain jailed by Israel. (Ha'aretz)

Pres. Abbas says a final status agreement will require the release of all Palestinian prisoners. (YNet)

Many are angry with either the prisoner release or the new settlement announcements, or both. (New York Times)

Abbas says the Jordan Valley will remain under Palestinian sovereignty, and vows to complete peace negotiations. (Xinhua/Ma'an)

Settler leaders demand Israel annex the Jordan Valley. (Jerusalem Post)

A new poll suggests some settlers want to leave the Jordan Valley. (Jerusalem Post)

Netanyahu says Israel wants to greatly increase trade with China, especially selling them weapons. (Xinhua)

Syrian activists say a missile has hit a bus near Aleppo, killing 10. (AP)

With winter setting in, aid groups struggle to reach Syrian refugees. (New York Times)

Syria misses its first deadline for relinquishing its chemical weapons stockpiles. (Reuters/BBC)

The Syrian conflict is exacting a huge toll for Jordan. (Xinhua)

At least 17 people are killed in fighting in Iraq. (New York Times)

A suicide bombing in southern Yemen kills two guards. (AP)

Bahrain is investigating claims by bombing case defendants that they were tortured. (Reuters)

Egyptian security forces arrest the son of the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood. (Reuters)

Egypt seizes the assets of 500 Muslim Brotherhood leaders. (AP)

Egypt arrests four Al Jazeera journalists accused of having illegal ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. (Washington Post)

The PKK urges Kurds not to get involved in the feud between PM Erdoğan and influential cleric Gülen. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Commentary:

Aaron David Miller sees signs Kerry is making significant progress in narrowing the Israeli-Palestinian gaps. (Foreign Policy)

Nahum Barnea says Kerry's progress means Netanyahu now faces crucial decisions on peace. (YNet)

The Jerusalem Post says that a proposed Israeli lawl annexing the Jordan Valley "does more harm than good." (Jerusalem Post)

Linda Gradstein says Israelis are deeply divided over the Jordan Valley issue. (The Media Line)

Sefi Rachlevsky says, in some ways, Abbas is "the last Jew." (Ha'aretz)

Nathan Jeffay explains how and why Israel's "social justice" movement has faded away. (The Forward)

Elhanan Miller says Hamas is struggling to deal with Egypt's designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. (Times of Israel)

Carolyn Karcher explains why she voted in favor of an academic boycott of Israel by ASA. (Los Angeles Times)

Eric Yoffie says campus Hillel groups shouldn't offer a platform to "enemies of Israel." (Ha'aretz)

Diana Moukalled says more attention needs to be paid to the Syrian tragedy in 2014. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Roula Khalaf says the West’s botched Syria policy has only helped Pres. Assad. (Gulf News)

Hussein Ibish says a dangerous new precedent in international relations is being set in Syria. (NOW)

Josh Rogin says an attempted US outreach to the Islamic Front in Syria was bungled. (Daily Beast)

Sarah Birke looks at how Al Qaeda has transformed the war in Syria. (New York Review of Books)

Catherine Traywick explains why Syria is now the most dangerous place in the world to be a journalist. (Foreign Policy)

Pres. Rouhani promises Iran will be guided by "moderation and common sense." (The Daily Star)

Jeffrey Goldberg says 2013 was a very good year for Iran. (Bloomberg)

The National says critics of Saudi aid to Lebanon are misguided. (The National)

The Daily Star welcomes the Saudi aid package for the Lebanese military. (The Daily Star)

Hugh Miles looks at why Al Jazeera is being targeted by the Egyptian authorities. (BBC)

Asharq Al-Awsat interviews Egyptian presidential advisor Mostafa Hegazy. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Rania El Gamal says the political impasse in Bahrain threatens more instability in the country in 2014. (Reuters)

Rami Khouri thinks a series of bad decisions by many players portends more Middle East violence for 2014. (The Daily Star)

John Yemma says faith inspires Palestinian and other Middle Eastern Christians. (Christian Science Monitor)

News:
Sec. Kerry is pushing for a "framework" agreement between Israel and the Palestinians to keep talks going. (New York Times)

The "framework" proposal is thought to be the outlines of a final status agreement. (Jerusalem Post)

Israeli leaders say Kerry should be taken very seriously and may want a Nobel Prize. (YNet)

An Israeli official again reiterates it wants to retain the crucial Jordan Valley. (AP)

Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister resurrects the idea 1967 borders are "Auschwitz borders."(Ha'aretz)

Right-wing Israeli politicians make a symbolic visit to the Jordan Valley. (Xinhua)

Israel has reportedly proposed a land swap offer to the United States. (Ma'an/Times of Israel)

PM Netanyahu's insistence on Palestinian recognition of Israel as a "Jewish state" is proving a key sticking point. (New York Times)

Israeli finance minister Lapid again dismisses the demand for Palestinian recognition of Israel as "Jewish" as "rubbish." (Jerusalem Post)

Israel says it's going to wait for Kerry to leave before another announcement of settlement expansions. (New York Times)

Pres. Abbas warns of possible legal and diplomatic action if Israel persists in settlement activity. (AFP)

A "secret Palestinian security report" purportedly warns of the dangers of a third intifada. (YNet)

Palestinians say there has been an increase in the number of Palestinians employed in Israeli settlements. (PNN)

The PLO says the US is planning to provide $440 million in aid to the PA this year. (Ma’an)

A poll suggests both Israelis and Palestinians support the two-state solution, but remain suspicious of the other side. (AP)

Israeli and Palestinian leaders continue to exchange accusations. (Ma’an)

Palestinians say an 85-year-old man died after Israeli occupation forces fired tear gas. (Reuters/(Xinhua)

In a rare move, an Israeli military tribunal acquits Palestinians of throwing stones at settlers. (Ha'aretz)

The Palestinian ambassador to the Czech Republic dies in an explosion when he opened an old safe. (Reuters/AP)

Hamas approves a 2014 budget of $589 million for the Gaza Strip that includes a 75 percent deficit. (New York Times)

Egypt says the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas plotted to blow up churches in Sinai during Christmas. (Ma’an)

Hamas leader Haniyeh rules out the possibility that Egypt could declare it a terrorist organization. (Ma’an)

The Palestinian Statistics Bureau says there are 11.8 million Palestinians in the world. (PNN)

A relocation city for Bedouins founded by Israel decades ago inspires no confidence in such schemes. (The Forward)

Former PM Sharon is said to be near death and in critical condition. (New York Times/AP/Ha'aretz)

7,818 civilians were killed in Iraq in 2013, the highest annual death toll in years. (AP)

PM Al-Maliki asks Sunni members not to leave the Iraqi parliament. (Washington Post)

Syrian activists say 130,000 people have died since the beginning of the conflict in that country. (Reuters)

17 rebels are reportedly killed by Syrian troops in the southern city of Daraa. (Xinhua)

At least 20 people are killed when a missile strikes a residential building in Aleppo. (Los Angeles Times)

Lebanon arrests leaders of an Al Qaeda-linked group in connection with the bombing of the Iranian Embassy. (New York Times)

Two people are killed as police and protesters clash in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. (Reuters)

Commentary:

Roger Cohen says Israel's legitimacy as a Jewish state depends on ending the occupation. (New York Times)

Karin Laub says Israel and the Palestinians face hard choices in Kerry's framework proposal. (AP)

Gershon Baskin says Israel needs Kerry and the US even if they don't want to admit it. (Jerusalem Post)

Eitan Haber says Kerry's determination to achieve peace puts Israel in a very difficult quandary. (YNet)

Shlomi Eldar says, despite a prisoner release, more Israeli settlement activity could kill peace talks. (Al Monitor)

David Horovitz tries to imagine what Netanyahu is thinking right now. (Times of Israel)

Tamar Hermann says the Israeli left has to choose between supporting Netanyahu and increasing chances for peace or opposing him and increasing their electoral prospects. (YNet)

Ari Shavit says if Kerry's proposals include a Jewish state in the 1967 borders, it would be a Zionist victory. (Ha'aretz)

Ami Ayalon says Israel needs to take bold unilateral measures to salvage the peace process. (New York Times)

Ha'aretz says Israel should stop using municipal planning as an excuse to seize land and dispossess Palestinians. (Ha'aretz)

Joshua Mitnick interviews Jerusalem expert Daniel Siedemann. (Christian Science Monitor)

Zuher Andrawous says Palestinians are becoming more divided along sectarian lines. (Ha'aretz)

Gideon Levy says Israelis seem to tolerate torture. (Ha'aretz)

Bloomberg profiles Palestinian businessmen Munib R. Masri. (Bloomberg)

Hassan Hassan says Hezbollah's misleading anti-takfiri rhetoric could fool some people. (The National)

Mohammed Habash says radicalized Syrian youths are one of Pres. Assad's greatest assets. (The National)

The National says the Iraqi army offensive in Anbar against Sunni forces will only backfire. (The National)

Michel Kilo says it's time to take a stand against the most extreme rebel group in Syria, ISIS. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Hania Mourtada profiles the Syrian Islamic Front, a potential new Western Islamist ally. (Foreign Policy)

Osama Al Sharif gives his overview on what to expect in the Middle East in 2014. (Jordan Times)

Calder Walton describes how Jewish terrorists in Palestine helped give birth to the British surveillance state. (Foreign Policy)

Greg Carlstrom explains why the Egyptian government is blaming everything it can on the Muslim Brotherhood. (Foreign Policy)

Nathan Brown looks forward to the upcoming Egyptian constitutional referendum. (Carnegie)

[NOTE: Due to the upcoming holidays, the ATFP News Roundup will be suspended for next week and resume service on Monday, December 30.]

News:

Palestinians say Sec. Kerry has modified somewhat a US security proposal after hearing Palestinian concerns. (Xinhua)

Palestinians urge China to help pressure Israel on peace. (Jerusalem Post)

The Irish ambassador to Israel says the Israeli-Palestinian deal is "inevitable." (Times of Israel)

Violence and settlement activity are complicating Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. (AFP)

The PA condemns Israel's killing of two Palestinians. (Xinhua)

The UN says at least 3,608 Palestinians were injured by Israeli occupation forces in 2013. (PNN)

An Israeli soldier filmed hitting Danish activists with his gun is sentenced to two months community service. (Jerusalem Post)

Pres. Abbas is going to Cairo to meet with Egyptian officials and Arab foreign ministers. (Ma'an)

Hamas urges Abbas to speed up the process of national reconciliation. (Xinhua)

Israeli occupation forces detain two young men in Qalqiliya and clash with local residents. (Ma'an)

The New York Times profiles "Arab Idol" Mohammed Assaf, including in both an article and a video feature. (New York Times)

The outgoing EU Middle East envoy says support for labeling Israeli settlement goods is growing in Europe. (Ha'aretz/AP)

Israelis are split over whether an international boycott movement is really a threat or not. (AP)

Israel is promoting Arabic studies in Jewish schools to counter growing anti-Arab racism. (Ha'aretz)

A Jewish Israeli is indicted for throwing hot tea on Palestinian MK Tibi. (YNet)

Tibi says Arab MKs suffer from incitement in the Knesset, which leads to such incidents. (Times of Israel)

A "Jihadist" leader in Syria spells out his vision of an Islamic state in the country in an Al Jazeera interview. (New York Times/BBC)

Human Rights Watch urges Lebanon to protect minorities and prevent more spillover Syrian conflict. (AP)

A new report shows Palestinian refugees, particularly women, in Lebanon live in constant fear of eviction. (The Daily Star)

450,000 Syrian Christians are said to have been displaced in that country's conflict. (Xinhua)

Syrian Kurds remain divided over upcoming peace talks in Geneva. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Leaked conversations about Egyptian DM Sisi having prophetic dreams seem to have enhanced rather than harmed his popularity. (AP)

Egypt begins its national dialogue on its "transitional roadmap." (Xinhua)

Egyptian authorities extend their crackdown on dissent to a non-Islamist NGO. (New York Times/Christian Science Monitor)

Tunisia's new caretaker PM faces many complex challenges. (Reuters)

Suicide bombers kill 36 Shiite pilgrims in Iraq. (Reuters/AP)

Six more Iraqis are killed in a double bombing at a sheep market north of Baghdad. (AP)

The death toll in Iraq on Thursday reaches 46, with at least 100 wounded. (Xinhua)

Eight people close to the government are jailed in Turkey in an anticorruption probe. (AP)

Libya extends voter registration for a constitution-drafting Constituent Assembly. (Xinhua)

Commentary:

Joshua Mitnick interviews chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. (Wall Street Journal)

Yoel Marcus says time is running out for peace talks to succeed and it's in Israel's vital national interests they don't fail. (Ha'aretz)

Uri Savir says 2014 is the year for both Palestinians and Israelis to decide if they want to accept reasonable peace terms or not. (Jerusalem Post)

Mazal Mualem says PM Netanyahu's hard-line speech at the recent Likud convention doesn't sound like he's ready for compromise. (Al Monitor)

Uri Dromi says Kerry will need a miracle to succeed in peace talks. (Miami Herald)

An anonymous Economist correspondent says Palestinians are upset about recent developments but Jordan is pleased. (The Economist)

The New York Times and Victoria Brittain both remember the late Palestinian psychiatrist and activist Eyad Sarraj. (The New York Times/The Guardian)

Zafrir Rinat says Palestinians tend to hate "nature reserves" in the occupied territories because they find them reserved for settlers. (Ha'aretz)

Michael Ross says boycotting Israeli universities is an attack on academic freedom. (Los Angeles Times)

Lawrence Grossman says calls for academic boycotts against Israel are hypocritical and should be stopped. (JTA)

Henry Siegman says there is no bigotry in anti-Israel boycotts because of the occupation. (Ha'aretz)

George Hishmeh says the BDS movement is gaining ground. (Jordan Times)

Shlomi Eldar says Israeli academics are worried the academic boycott movement could have "a snowball effect." (Al Monitor)

Martin Kramer calls the academic boycott "ridiculous." (Foreign Policy)

The Jerusalem Post says Israel needs to pick its battles and not every critic is an "anti-Semite." (Jerusalem Post)

David Fachler says Israel tried to court Nelson Mandela and other Africans in the 1960s with training and other inducements. (Ha'aretz)

David Horovitz says there is growing evidence the Lockerbie bombing attack was conducted by an extremist Palestinian group tied to Syria. (Times of Israel)

Diana Atallah profiles a Palestinian woman victim of a so-called "honor killing." (The Media Line)

Rami Khouri looks back at three years of Arab uprisings. (Jordan Times)

Eyad Abu Shakra says Iran's efforts at exercising regional hegemony through proxies like Hezbollah is pushing the region to the brink. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Asharq Al-Awsat interviews Lebanon's PM-designate Salam about his unsuccessful attempts to form a government. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The National says clerics are spewing sectarian hate speech and Gulf states have to put an end to it. (The National)

Hasan Tariq Alhasan says GCC states should turn their focus back onto economic integration. (Gulf News)

Kadri Gursel tries to tally the damage done to the government by Turkey's ongoing corruption scandal. (Al Monitor)

Samir Salha says upcoming municipal elections will determine the future of Turkey's ruling AKP and PM Erdoğan (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Mohammad Akef Jamal says April elections in Iraq will be a litmus test for that country's future. (Gulf News)

The Daily Star says the US should listen closely to the legitimate complaints of its Arab allies. (The Daily Star)

News:

Palestinians say they are ready to extend peace talks with Israel beyond the April deadline. (AP/AFP)

Palestinian negotiators say a framework agreement with Israel is within reach. (Los Angeles Times/PNN)

Sec. Kerry is reportedly pressuring Israel not to announce more settlements following the next prisoner release. (Xinhua)

Pres. Abbas has reportedly sent a letter to Pres. Obama outlining his concerns about a US proposal. (Xinhua/Ha'aretz)

A senior PLO official urges the EU to place sanctions on whatever party thwarts peace talks. (Xinhua)

PM Netanyahu vows to continue with settlement expansion. (AFP)

A recent survey suggests many settlers would voluntarily leave a Palestinian state. (Al Monitor)

Abbas' guards intervene in a violent confrontation among PA security officers and officials. (Ha'aretz/Jerusalem Post/Times of Israel)

Palestinian businesses suffer millions in losses due to the recent snowstorms. (Ma'an)

The UN says nearly 1 million Palestinians in Gaza will need food aid in 2014. (Reuters)

Two Palestinians are killed by Israeli occupation forces in separate West Bank incidents. (Los Angeles Times/YNet/Times of Israel)

Palestinians say the killings threaten the future of peace talks. (AFP)

Israeli occupation forces shoot in the back and kill a Palestinian security officer they were seeking to arrest. (Reuters/AP/Xinhua)

Palestinians say the officer was killed "in cold blood." (Ma'an)

Israeli occupation forces detain another Palestinian security officer after raiding his home. (Ma'an)

Eight more Palestinians are detained by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank. (Ma'an)

In a deep crisis, Hamas is seeking support and guidance from Gaza intellectuals. (Al Monitor)

Israel will ask Pope Francis to reconsider only holding a mass in occupied Bethlehem. (YNet)

The Roman Catholic patriarch in Jerusalem says Israeli settlements hamper peace. (YNet)

China's Foreign Minister visits Israel amid the backdrop of controversy over an antiterrorism case. (AP)

China reiterates its support for the Palestinian cause. (PNN)

Pres. Peres tells the Chinese FM peace is Israel's greatest desire and Iran is its greatest problem. (Jerusalem Post)

Egyptian prosecutors accuse former Pres. Morsi of a vast terrorist plot. (New York Times/AP)

The charges against Morsi include plotting with Hamas and "espionage." (AFP/Washington Post)

The last charges against former Egyptian Pres. Mubarak's final PM are dropped. (Reuters)

The Egyptian military counteroffensive in Sinai is still proving relatively ineffective. (Ha'aretz)

Almost 2,000 Palestinians have died in the Syrian conflict. (Jerusalem Post)

Like some other Middle Eastern countries, Tunisia is worried about their own youths beingradicalized by fighting in Syria. (New York Times)

Syrian Kurds want their own delegation at the upcoming Geneva peace talks. (Reuters)

The UN says people in Syria are systematically disappearing in a nationwide "terror" campaign. (AP/BBC)

Amnesty International accuses extremist Syrian rebels of atrocities. (Reuters)

Syrians are positioned to soon become the world's largest group of refugees. (Reuters)

The US denies Syrian rebel suggestions it is prepared to live with Pres. Assad. (Jerusalem Post)

Attacks on Shiite pilgrims and others kill 24 in Iraq. (AP)

Iran will soon resume nuclear negotiations with the P5+1. (Xinhua)

PM Erdogan says a new corruption probe is just an effort to to smear his government. (Reuters)

Several senior Turkish police officials are fired after corruption arrests. (Reuters)

An influential US-based Turkish cleric denies he is behind the corruption probe. (AP)

Nine officials and executives are facing corruption charges in Oman. (Reuters)

The American Studies Association faces a backlash after adopting a resolution supporting boycotts against Israel. (Ha'aretz)

Commentary:

The PLO issues a "fact sheet" about occupied Bethlehem. (PLO)

Avi Issacharoff says recent West Bank violence shows a third intifada is in the making. (Times of Israel)

Yonatan Gher says, rather than being upset about being accused of "apartheid," Israel should make sure it doesn't practice it. (YNet)

Laura Wharton says Israel's new administration in Jerusalem is a cause for serious alarm. (Jordan Times)

Shlomi Eldar says Israel and Hamas have an unwritten code of coexistence. (Al Monitor)

The Daily Star says the EU doesn't have much more credibility on settlements than the US. (The Daily Star)

In an open letter to Abbas, Carlo Strenger says the Palestinians' fate is in their own hands. (Ha'aretz)

Maysoon Zayid explains why she is a supporter of the one-state agenda. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

Uri Sadot says Israel doesn't face a demographic "time bomb," as long as you don't count the population of Gaza. (Foreign Policy)

Khaled Diab notes that reactions to apartheid in South Africa varied widely throughout the Arab world. (Ha'aretz)

Marissa Young claims the PA is punishing Palestinians who seek to build ties with Israelis. (Jerusalem Post)

Owen Kirby says a nuclear deal with Iran hardly means the end of its regional ambitions. (Jerusalem Post)

The New York Times says the West should support the political compromises ongoing in Tunisia. (New York Times)

The CSM says Tunisia is still an Arab Spring inspiration. (Christian Science Monitor)

Ariel Ben Solomon says Egyptian DM Sisi is determined to stamp out all opposition. (Jerusalem Post)

Michael Young calls for an "honest debate" about Syrian refugees in Lebanon. (The National)

Michael Young also says Hezbollah has become cannon fodder in a war with Al Qaeda. (The Daily Star)

Jean Aziz notes that Hezbollah is hinting at a change of attitudes towards the US and Lebanon. (Al Monitor)

Osama Al Sharif says the apparent collapse of the FSA and SMC in Syria is a cause for serious alarm. (Arab News)

Samir Atallah says the region is experiencing so much state failure, the Arab world has no simple metaphor for chaos. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Francis Matthews acknowledges the US is working hard to allay GCC fears about its policies. (Gulf News)

Henri Barkey says Abdullah Gul and democracy may prove the winners in the latest Turkish upheaval. (Al Monitor)

News:

Jordan reportedly closes its doors to Hamas, as do most Arab capitals, in solidarity with Egypt. (Jerusalem Post)

The PA and Hamas are reportedly in talks about the possibility of forming a national unity government. (PNN)

Palestinians accuse Sec. Kerry of unfairly siding with Israel. (Ha'aretz/UPI)

Palestinians say a US security proposal keeps Israeli troops stationed 3 miles from the Jordan border after the establishment of a Palestinian state. (Times of Israel)

The noted Palestinian psychiatrist and human rights activist Dr. Eyad al-Sarraj dies at 70. (AP/PNN)

Jordan complains to Israel about surveillance cameras at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem. (Xinhua/AFP)

Some religious Jews are intensifying demands for access to at what are now Muslim holy places in occupied East Jerusalem. (AP)

Israeli occupation forces arrest 17 Palestinians in West Bank raids. (Ma'an)

A Palestinian media group complains about "worrying" new restrictions in both the West Bank and Gaza. (Ma'an)

Palestinians prepare to welcome the Chinese FM. (Xinhua)

Israel says Lebanon has promise to punish a sniper who killed an Israeli soldier last week. (AP/Ha'aretz)

An American family again accuses Israel of protecting China by refusing to allow testimony in an antiterrorism case. (AP/Ha'aretz/Jerusalem Post)

A new award-winning comedy film, "Peace After Marriage," looks at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (New York Times)

Political quarrels have led to a crisis in the Israeli cabinet. (Jerusalem Post/Times of Israel)

Jordan is experiencing an intensified water crisis with a flood of Syrian refugees. (Reuters)

The plan is finalized for destroying Syria's chemical weapons. (AP)

Regime aircraft pound Aleppo for a fourth day in the Syrian conflict, including hitting an elementary school. (AP/Jerusalem Post)

Three Iranian Revolutionary Guards are reportedly killed by a roadside bomb. (Reuters/BBC)

A well-connected Iranian businessman is wanted by the US for arms smuggling. (Reuters)

Iran's FM is visiting Saudi Arabia. (Xinhua)

Egypt and Qatar are trying to rebuild their strained relationship. (Xinhua)

With over 150 police officers killed since August, morale in the Egyptian force is starting to fray. (New York Times)

The UAE adjourns the trial of 30 suspected Muslim Brotherhood members. (Xinhua)

$4.5 million in cash is seized by anticorruption police from the home of a bank CEO close to PM Erdogan. (AP/Christian Science Monitor)

Rights groups say migrant workers in Qatar are so mistreated they are even running low on food. (AP)

Commentary:

Nadia Darwazeh says a new commercial arbitration center is a breakthrough for Israel and the Palestinians. (Jerusalem Post)

Ben Caspit says Israel is benefiting from Hamas' meltdown and fears of being overthrown. (Al Monitor)

MK Ahmad Tibi says Israel's "Jim Crow" treatment of Palestinians continues. (The Hill)

Jonathan Cook says the US security proposal would make a Palestinian state non-viable. (The National)

Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz al Saud, Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to the UK says his country may act without relying on the West anymore. (New York Times)

Tom Friedman says, even though his tasks regarding Iran and Palestinian-Israeli peace seem daunting, one has to respect Kerry's daring. (New York Times)

David Ignatius describes how Iranian hardliners are opposing a nuclear deal with the West. (Washington Post)

Amir Taheri thinks the nuclear deal with Iran has already "quietly collapsed." (New York Post)

Alex Fishman says if another Lebanese soldier kills an Israeli soldier, Israel will not see it as a random incident. (YNet)

David Rosenberg says the BDS movement is still losing the battle, but only for now. (Ha'aretz)

Bradley Burston says PM Netanyahu is boycotting the world, so BDS is superfluous. (Ha'aretz)

The Jerusalem Post calls for anti-boycott grassroots activism to combat BDS activism. (Jerusalem Post)

Nathan Guttman says BDS activists will move on from the ASA to a much bigger target, the MLA. (The Forward)

Peter Beinart says the ASA boycott resolution misguidedly targets Israel rather than the occupation. (Daily Beast)

Gerald Steinberg says a new law cracking down on foreign funding of liberal Israeli NGOs is misguided. (Ha'aretz)

Daniel Sokatch says the new anti-NGO law is the first step toward silencing dissent in Israel. (Ha'aretz)

Mshari Al-Zaydi says a new Saudi law restricting speech is a weapon against terrorism. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Haviv Rettig Gur says Netanyahu has successfully beaten back a challenge from Likud hard-liners. (Times of Israel)

Osama Al Sharif says foreign meddling will ensure that fighting in Syria continues. (Jordan Times)

Itamar Rabinovich says the tide in Syria is turning in favor of the Assad regime. (INSS)

The Daily Star says the US would be wise to reach out to the newly created Islamic Front in Syria. (The Daily Star)

Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed says the creation of jobs for women must be a Saudi priority. (Asharq Al Awsat)

News:

Hamas allegedly notifies Pres. Abbas it's willing to join a unity government in preparation for new elections. (Ma'an)

A new poll shows a small majority of Palestinians opposed to resumed negotiations with Israel andbelieve they are dead. (Palestinian Center For Public Opinion/Ma'an/Jerusalem Post)  

Palestinian officials say the US is pressuring them to recognize Israel as a "Jewish state." (Ha'aretz)

UN officials say settlement activity cannot be reconciled with a two-state solution. (PNN) 

The EU warns Israel not to announce more settlement activity after the next round of prisoner release. (AP/Ha'aretz)

The US welcomes a pledged EU aid package for Israel and the Palestinians in the case of peace. (Xinhua) 

Israel allows more truckloads of goods into Gaza. (Xinhua) 

Quartet Envoy Tony Blair expresses deep concern about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. (PNN) 

Israeli occupation forces storm a village near Bethlehem and conduct a widescale military drill. (Ma'an)

Palestinians who served time for "security-related offenses" are banned from a nature reserve in the occupied West Bank. (Ha'aretz)

Israel and Lebanon try to defuse tensions after a deadly border incident. (New York Times/AP/Los Angeles Times/Christian Science Monitor) 

Israel mulls its options since it believes a lone, rogue Lebanese soldier was at fault. (Ha'aretz/Jerusalem Post)

A car bomb attack targets a Hezbollah military base in eastern Lebanon. (AP/Reuters) 

The US reaffirms to Israel its determination to stop Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon. (Xinhua) 

The boycott vote against Israel by the American Studies Association is a stinging but largely symbolic rebuke. (New York Times)

Now that a forced mass relocation plan has been shelved, Bedouins in Israel are demanding recognition. (The Forward) 

African migrants in Israel protest their prolonged detentions. (AP/YNet/Jerusalem Post)

Activists say Syrian government warplanes have bombed Aleppo again, killing 13. (AP) 

The UN says the next Syrian conflict "peace conference" will begin on January 22 in Montreux. (AP) 

Lacking funding and supplies, more moderate Syrian opposition fighters are defecting to anti-western militias. (Christian Science Monitor) 

There are now 3.1 million Syrian refugees in Jordan, 842,000 in Lebanon, and approaching 1.5 million in Turkey. (Xinhua) 

Freezing children are starving to death in Syria as aid can’t reach them. (Reuters) 

Egyptian state TV says a bomb has exploded near a school in Cairo without causing any injuries. (AP) 

The Egyptian government apologizes for a badly botched Constitution banner. (Reuters/Los Angeles Times) 

A homemade bomb wounds two police officers in Bahrain. (AP) 

A senior Iranian official insists a full nuclear agreement is achievable. (AP) 

Saudi Arabia passes a new law cracking down on dissent and defamation. (AP) 

65 people are killed in Iraq in the bloodiest day of violence there in two months. (AP) 

A Tunisian rapper questions what has been gained by the Arab uprisings. (BBC)

BP signs of $16 billion deal to develop Oman's shale gas reserves. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Commentary:

Hassan Barari says no Palestinian leadership can accept an Israeli military presence in an independent Palestinian state. (Jordan Times) 

Rasha Abou Jalal says winter storms are causing a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. (Al Monitor) 

The National says the people of Gaza are suffering while Hamas has no focus. (The National) 

Maysoon Zayid says the new Palestinian movie "Omar" is a stark representation of the realities of occupation. (Daily Beast/Open Zion) 

Hilik Bar says, despite conventional wisdom, there are reasons to hope PM Netanyahu can be a peacemaker. (Jerusalem Post)

Akiva Eldar says Netanyahu has to find a way to keep negotiations with the Palestinians from collapsing. (Al Monitor) 

Sefi Rachlevsky says even if Netanyahu "pretends to be on the brink" of an agreement with the Palestinians, he should never be saved by the Israeli center-left. (Ha'aretz)

Ha'aretz says the bill targeting liberal Israeli NGOs shouldn't be softened, it should be struck down. (Ha'aretz) 

David Horovitz interviews new Labor Party leader Herzog. (Times of Israel) 

Chemi Shalev describes a "pro-Israel" discussion in New York that ended in walkout, insults and recriminations. (Ha'aretz)

Arie Hasit says banning controversial speakers contradicts Hillel's mission. (Ha'aretz)

Jay Michaelson asks if the Israel of today is becoming the South Africa of the 1980s. (The Forward) 

Alan Dershowitz says the ASA Israel boycott vote was a "victory for bigotry." (Ha'aretz) 

Chemi Shalev says the ASA boycott could spark Israel-centered brawls at campuses across the US. (Ha'aretz)

The Jerusalem Post says Israel must remain vigilant along the Lebanese border. (Jerusalem Post) 

Fayez Sara says both Syrian Pres. Assad and the "jihadists" are dangerous extremists. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Fawaz Gerges says Saudi Arabia and Iran must end its "proxy war" in Syria. (Gulf News)

Doyle McManus calls US policy towards Syria "feeble." (Los Angeles Times)

Cengiz Çandar says both the US and Turkey are rethinking their Syria policies. (Al Monitor) 

John Hudson says the US is considering closer ties to "hard-line Islamists" in Syria. (Foreign Policy) 

Michael Glackin says the West has abandoned its allies in Syria. (The Daily Star) 

The CSM says American empathy for Syrian suffering is about to be tested again during a tough winter. (Christian Science Monitor) 

Lyse Doucet looks at the struggle of Syrians for the most basic staples such as bread. (BBC) 

Brian Klaas and Jason Pack say Tunisia remains the best hope for Arab democracy. (Los Angeles Times) 

Iscandar Mamari says US drone strikes are infuriating the people of Yemen. (The Media Line) 

Christian Emery says Iran's leaders face significant hard-line opposition to a nuclear deal with the West. (Asharq Al Awsat) 

Bernard Haykel and Daniel Kurtzer say Israel and Saudi Arabia have very different concerns regarding Iran. (The Daily Star) 

News:

As winter begins to hit, Gaza's only power plant is up and running again, thanks to fuel from Qatar. (New York Times/Xinhua/Reuters)

40,000 Palestinians in Gaza flee their homes due to flooding. (AP/Los Angeles Times)

Gaza's port suffers $100,000 in storm related damage. (Ma'an)

Israeli occupation forces shoot and wound a young Palestinian in Gaza near the Israeli border. (Xinhua)

A new poll shows that, although they are pessimistic, a majority of Palestinians are in favor of talks with Israel. (Palestinian Center For Public Opinion)

Sources say Pres. Abbas has declined, for now, Sec. Kerry's proposal he meet with PM Netanyahu. (Xinhua/Times of Israel)

The Israeli government approves pending legislation penalizing foreign-funded liberal NGOs. (Xinhua)

An Israeli ministerial committee also approved a bill requiring a steep two thirds majority on any Jerusalem compromise. (Jerusalem Post)

Israeli forces exchange fire with Lebanese soldiers after an Israeli sergeant is killed near the border (New York Times/Xinhua/AFP)

The Israeli military shoots two Lebanese in the skirmishing, and blames Lebanon. (AP)

Lebanese, Israeli and UN officials meet to discuss the violence, as neither side seems interested in a broader conflict. (Reuters/Ha'aretz)

Recent successes in promoting settlement boycotts give new life to the boycott movement. (AFP)

Former MK Azmi Bishara may be trying to broker Hamas-Fatah negotiations. (Times of Israel)

A prominent Saudi prince criticizes the Obama administration, particularly on insufficient Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. (New York Times)

A Palestinian citizen of Israel almost becomes the world kickboxing champion. (Ha'aretz)

Snows disrupt this year's pilgrimages to Bethlehem. (The Media Line)

An outsourcing call center is providing new jobs in Bethlehem. (BBC)

Palestinians are teaching the art of pickle-making in Saudi Arabia. (Arab News)

33 more Iraqis are killed in a string of attacks throughout the country. (AP/New York Times)

An Iraqi official and his family are killed by assailants. (New York Times)

The death toll in a Syrian government military bombing attack on Aleppo rises to 76, including 28 children. (Reuters/AP/AFP)

The Syrian government may have continued to use chemical weapons even as the West was threatening retaliation. (Foreign Policy)

Moderate Syrian rebel leaders vow to protect journalists. (AP)

The UN seeks $6.5 billion in aid for Syrian refugees next year. (Reuters)

Syrian refugees in Lebanon and elsewhere are facing a bitter winter. (AP)

Yemen's parliament votes to ban the US use of drones in its country. (Xinhua)

The Egyptian government faces an opposition badly divided between Islamists and liberals. (Washington Post)

Turkey's deputy PM says relations with Israel are important and reparable. (Times of Israel)

Tunisian parties finally agree on a technocratic caretaker PM. (BBC)

Qatar's new emir seems to be shifting focus to domestic rather than foreign policy. (The National)

Commentary:

ATFP Pres. Ziad J. Asali says Israel needs to enforce the law against violent extremist "price tag" hooligans. (Ha'aretz)

ATFP Executive Director Ghaith Al-Omari says there already are emerging effective models of Arab-American engagement. (Al Arabiya)

ATFP Senior Fellow Hussein Ibish says the occupation structures a relationship of violence between Israelis and Palestinians. (The National)

Charles Bronfman and Peter Joseph say the US will have to find ways to promote peace and strengthen Israel's security simultaneously. (Jerusalem Post)

Amira Hass says Palestinian rage is contained for now but is about to boil over. (Ha'aretz)

Rami Khouri suggests five points for Kerry to keep in mind on Israeli-Palestinian peace. (The Daily Star)

Betty Herschman says both sides are responsible for, and must curb, violence in Jerusalem. (Jerusalem Post)

Mattia Toaldo, Fatima Ayub, Hugh Lovatt, and Dimi Reider conduct a "stress test" on the state of the two state solution. (ECFR)

Steven Klein asks if foreign troops will be necessary to secure an Israeli-Palestinian peace. (Ha'aretz)

Moshe Arens says negotiations will not bring about an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Ha'aretz)

Dave Sharma says innovative forms of Israeli-Palestinian cooperation may be paving the path to peace. (Times of Israel)

Oudeh Basharat asks, where is the Israeli de Klerk? (Ha'aretz)

Avi Weiss explains why he once picketed Nelson Mandela for supporting Palestinians. (The Forward)

Paul Scham says the demand for Palestinian recognition of Israel as a "Jewish state" makes no sense. (Partners for Progressive Israel)

Jerome Siegel says there are ways of helping address refugee issues while maintaining Israel's "Jewish character." (Foreign Policy)

Abeer Ayyoub describes the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza without sufficient electricity this winter. (Ha'aretz)

Josh Nason points out Hamas has suffered an unprecedented series of defeats, but is still hanging on in Gaza. (Tablet)

Avi Issacharoff asks if Hamas' last resort is going to once again be Iran. (Times of Israel)

Ariel Ben Solomon asks what's next for Israel's Bedouins now the mass relocation plan is postponed. (Jerusalem Post)

The Daily Star says the Obama administration's policy on Syria is incomprehensible. (The Daily Star)

Ali Hashem says Qatar is retooling its Syria policy. (Al Monitor)

James Traub says the rise of Al Qaeda in Syria has been a complete game changer for everybody. (Foreign Policy)

David Ignatius says Iran wants a nuclear deal, but negotiations will be tough. (Washington Post)

Abdullah Al-Otaibi says the GCC must adapt to the new strategic situation in the region. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Mohammad Alrumaihi says the debate on Gulf unification is gathering steam. (Gulf News)

Saad Dosari says Oman's opposition to intensified Gulf unity should prompt GCC soul-searching. (Arab News)

The National says Tunisia's selection of a new caretaker PM is a small but necessary step forward. (The National)

Ayesha Almazroui says individual efforts can save many Syrian lives. (The National)

David Miliband says more can be done for refugees. (The Daily Star)