NEWS:

Hamas plays down increasing tensions with Egypt. (AFP)

Hamas arrests members of the youth group calling for its ouster from power in Gaza. (Xinhua)

Domestic violence against women is reportedly on the rise in Gaza. (Al Monitor)

Sec. Kerry is visiting Europe to discuss several Middle Eastern matters. (AP/Xinhua)

Pres. Abbas will meet with Kerry on Monday. (AFP/Jerusalem Post)

The G20 continues to be divided on Syria. (AFP)

Israel endorses limited American strikes against Syria. (New York Times)

Israelis mull the potential consequences of a potential US strike on Syria. (Christian Science Monitor)

The Pentagon is ordered to expand its list of potential targets in Syria. (New York Times)

AIPAC is reportedly lobbying heavily for Pres. Obama's request for authorization for force from Congress. (Politico)

Reports suggest Iranian proxies in Iraq may strike US targets if the US attacks Syria. (Ha'aretz)

More Israeli-Turkish reconciliation talks are reportedly underway. (YNet)

The ongoing fuel crisis in Gaza may cause a shutdown in its electrical plant. (Times of Israel)

Israel launches a new 24 hour TV news channel in Arabic, English and French. (The Forward)

Israel's mayor in Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, faces a tough reelection fight. (The Forward)

The St. Catherine's monastery in Sinai shuts down. (Al Monitor)

After a lengthy verification process, the UN has reduced its estimate of Palestinian refugees from Syria and Lebanon by half. (The Daily Star)

Several movies at the Venice Film Festival look at the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Reuters)

COMMENTARY:

Anne-Marie Slaughter says Israel and Palestine can be a stable island in a sea of regional disorder. (The Daily Star)

Inna Lazareva profiles a group of Israeli women who mediate between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians at checkpoints. (Al Monitor)

Ilene Prusher says Israel may be building the most political park in the world in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ha'aretz)

Hussein Ibish says the United States potentially faces a "Suez moment" of its own if it doesn't act in Syria. (The National)

Robert Scales explains why he thinks the Pentagon might not want an action in Syria. (Washington Post)

Nathan Guttman describes how the White House enlisted the support of Jewish American organizations for a strike on Syria. (The Forward)

A.B. Yehoshua looks at the perennial Israeli problem of defining "who is a Jew." (Ha'aretz)

David Horovitz defines nine challenges facing the Israeli military in the coming year. (Times of Israel)

Dov Maimon says Israel is drifting into a dangerous new level of Jewish tribalism. (The Forward)

Marwan Kabalan says Obama was smart to ask for approval for any strike on Syria. (Gulf News)

Noam Chomsky thinks Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are "a complete farce." (Salon)

NEWS:

Palestinian officials say Israel has proposed an interim agreement leaving dozens of settlements and military bases scattered throughout the West Bank. (AP/YNet)

Palestinian officials say Israel's proposal would leave it in control of at least 40% of the occupied West Bank. (Times of Israel)

Palestinian officials say the Israeli proposals are "unacceptable," and say they will not accept any"temporary solutions." (Ha'aretz/Jerusalem Post)

Palestinians complain Israel cannot be shifted from the sole topic of security in talks. (Xinhua)

Israel begins construction on 620 new settler housing units in occupied East Jerusalem. (PNN)

Israeli police arrest at least seven people following unrest at East Jerusalem holy sites. (Ha'aretz)

The World Bank transfers $72.2 million to the PA. (Ma’an)

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and its UN partners say about 1.6 million Palestinians suffer food insecurity. (PNN)

Hamas is reeling from Egypt's establishment of a Sinai-Gaza buffer zone. (Al Monitor)

Shortages in Gaza are intensifying as Egypt continues to clamp down on smuggling tunnels. (Xinhua)

One Egyptian soldier is killed and nine are wounded by extremists in Sinai. (Xinhua)

Egypt's Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim survives an attempted assassination bomb attack. (BBC)

Senior advisers to Pres. Obama recommend a suspension of aid to Egypt. (AP)

A Pentagon official warns cutting aid to Egypt could cost the US billions of dollars. (Jerusalem Post)

A Senate panel narrowly approves the use of American military force in Syria. (Los Angeles Times)

Syrian regime forces reportedly used large payloads of chemical weapons and cluster bombs. (New York Times)

Sec. Kerry says Arab states have offered to help pay for any Western intervention in Syria. (AFP)

The Pentagon may help arm Syrian rebels, instead of the CIA. (Times of Israel)

Many Jewish-American organizations are backing Obama on Syria, but are downplaying the "Israel angle." (JTA)

A former Syrian Defense Minister defects from the regime. (Reuters)

COMMENTARY:

David Ignatius says the Syrian war is reaching a turning point. (Washington Post)

Abdulkhaleq Abdulla says the GCC will back any American effective action in Syria. (Gulf News)

Michael Young says a very hard American hit that may signal the end of Pres. Assad is coming unless Russia can find a last-minute solution. (The Daily Star)

Jon Alterman says that if Obama doesn't get approval for action in Syria, Iran will no longer be interested in nuclear talks. (Al Monitor)

Nick Kristof says there's no point in calling for peace in the middle of a war. (New York Times)

The CSM says any American action in Syria should be proportionate and just. (Christian Science Monitor)

The Forward says the US needs to do "the right thing" and take action in Syria. (The Forward)

Aijaz Syed says international intervention is required in Syria. (Arab News)

Albert Hunt says Obama is haunted by his own redline in Syria. (New York Times)

Benny Morris says Obama's hesitation on Syria leaves many Israelis feeling he is unreliable. (Los Angeles Times)

Rajan Menon says preserving US credibility is no reason for military action in Syria. (Los Angeles Times)

Hagai Segal says history will mock Obama for his hesitation on Syria. (YNet)

Nathan Guttman says the White House pressed Jewish-American organizations to support it on Syria. (The Forward)

Eyad Abu Shakra explains the sectarian breakdown and dynamics in Syria. (Asharq Al Awsat)

James Denselow says bureaucracy and red tape are impeding aid to Syria's most vulnerable communities. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed thinks the prospects for a US-Russian understanding on Syria have improved. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Shmuel Rosner acknowledges that demographics and the occupation mean Israel must choose between being Jewish or democratic. (Al Monitor)

Diana Moukalled says Syria's plight is overshadowing Iraq's desperate cries for help. (Asharq Al Awsat)

David D'Arcy looks at a new movie about Palestinian identity, "Palestinian Stereo." (The National)

Yair Rosenberg says Peter Beinart's recent essay on Jewish lack of empathy with Palestinians doesn't acknowledge Palestinian reticence to reach out to Jews. (Tablet)

The Media Line profiles Maysoon Zayed and other edgy, young Palestinian comedians. (The Media Line)

NEWS:

A senior PLO official says negotiations with Israel seem "futile" and are "going nowhere." (Reuters)

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators met again on Tuesday with no sign of progress. (Times of Israel)

Israel says settlement evacuations are not part of the ongoing negotiations. (Jerusalem Post)

A new UN report suggests Palestinians are losing about $300 million a year of their tax revenue to Israeli withholding. (The Guardian)

A new poll shows most Israelis are not concerned about their overall security situation. (Jerusalem Post)

Israeli occupation forces detain five people after disturbances at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound. (Ma'an)
 
Palestinians in the West Bank rally in support of the new Egyptian government. (Xinhua)

Jihadist unrest in Sinai is intensifying, amid a major Egyptian military offensive. (AP/Times of Israel)

Hamas dismisses any notion of an Egyptian strike in Gaza. (Jerusalem Post)

With the Egyptian crackdown on Gaza intensifying, Palestinian residents are increasingly turning to Israel for an outlet. (Times of Israel)

The Palestinian Tamarod group plans a mass protest against Hamas rule on November 11. (Al Monitor)

Palestinian women in Gaza are struggling to achieve greater divorce rights. (Al Monitor)

His attorneys say that Israel has released the country's leading Islamist, Raed Salah. (Ma'an)

Pres. Abbas cancels a Rosh Hashanah celebration with Israelis after Palestinian criticism and several MKs refused to attend. (Jerusalem Post)

Two more Palestinian refugees are reportedly killed in Syria. (Ma'an)

Pres. Obama secures bipartisan congressional leadership support for authorization for action in Syria. (AP/Los Angeles Times)
 
Many American pro-Israel groups are quietly backing US intervention in Syria. (Reuters)

In Senate testimony, Sec. Kerry allows for the possibility of some American "boots on the ground" in Syria, but quickly backtracks. (Reuters/AP)
 
France says international intervention in Syria would be intended to "rebalance" the situation there. (AP)

A U.S. Air Force commander warns that budget cutbacks may undermine the effectiveness of any action. (Ha'aretz)

The World Bank announces a major new solid waste management program for the occupied West Bank. (PNN)

Saudi Arabia has reportedly donated $200 million to Palestinian cities to preserve their Palestinian character. (Jerusalem Post)

FIFA chief Blatter plans to host the heads of the Israeli and Palestinian soccer federations to iron out differences. (AP)

Jewish and Israeli souvenirs are being increasingly sold by West Bank merchants to tourists. (The Media Line)


COMMENTARY:

AP interviews Israel's mayor in Jerusalem, Barkat, who says the city can never be divided. (AP)

AP interviews Russian Pres. Putin, who explains his position on Syria. (AP)

Thomas Friedman says the best response to Assad's use of chemical weapons is more arming and training of the FSA. (New York Times)

Michael Young says Obama has a "Greta Garbo" attitude towards the rest of the world, but Syria has forced his hand. (Wall Street Journal)

Roger Cohen says when redlines are delineated they must be enforced. (New York Times)

Jonathan Zimmerman says the US must be ready to act alone against Syria if necessary. (Christian Science Monitor)

Doyle McManus says the tussle over Syria is dangerous for Obama and Congress alike, but the debate must be had. (Los Angeles Times)

Tom Geoghegan looks at six techniques Obama is using to convince Congress. (BBC)

James Stavridis says NATO should help the US deal with Assad. (New York Times)

George Semaan has real doubts Obama can get it right in Syria. (Al Hayat)

Zvi Bar'el says it's because of the occupation that Israel is being asked to stay on the sidelines in Syria. (Ha'aretz)

Shlomi Eldar says Hezbollah's threats against Israel are empty. (Al Monitor)

Shemuel Meir says Israel has systematically undermined the Oslo agreements by creative interpretations of "security zones." (+972)

NEWS:

Hamas says the Egyptian military is building a buffer zone with Gaza and strengthening its isolationon all fronts. (Reuters/AP)

Egypt condemns a raid by Hamas on an Egyptian cultural center in Gaza. (Xinhua)

Hamas again asks Egypt to reopen the border crossing with Gaza permanently. (Xinhua)

The Egyptian military says it has killed 15 militants in the Sinai Peninsula. (Reuters)

A planned meeting between Palestinian and Israeli officials has been postponed, although other reports say negotiators met secretly on Saturday. (AP/Xinhua)

Negotiators are said to be ready to meet again on Tuesday, although amid disputes. (Xinhua/Jerusalem Post)

Palestinians say they would like Pres. Abbas to discuss the talks with Sec. Kerry in Europe. (Jerusalem Post/Times of Israel)

Israel says it has conducted a joint missile test with the United States, and Russia expresses alarm. (AP/Reuters)

The Arab League endorses international action in Syria. (New York Times)

Pres. Peres supports Pres. Obama's policy toward Syria, although most Israelis are staying quiet. (New York Times)

Many Israelis believe the stakes are high for them in any US attack on Syria. (Christian Science Monitor)

Yet another Palestinian refugee is killed in the Syrian conflict. (Ma'an)

Hamas insists it will not be dragged into any conflict on the question of Syria. (Xinhua)

Lebanon braces for the fallout of any US attack on Syria. (Washington Post)

The number of refugees from Syria in neighboring countries has passed 2 million. (New York Times/AP)

Palestinian truck thieves briefly disrupt work at Israel's international Airport. (AP)

Egyptian authorities accuse a bird of "spying" for Israel. (AP)

Israeli authorities detain Raed Salah, the head of the main Islamist group in Israel. (Ma'an/Jerusalem Post)

Israel pledges to destroy settler structures built with forged deeds on Palestinian land. (Ha'aretz)

COMMENTARY:

Hussein Ibish urges Congress to authorize military action in Syria. (Now Media)

Elizabeth O'Bagy says her experiences on the ground prove Jihadists are not dominating the Syrian rebels. (Wall Street Journal)

Murhaf Jouejati says the US should strengthen the secular opposition in Syria to promote democracy. (Al Monitor)

Bruce Riedel says the US should also conduct a major information campaign against Al Qaeda in Syria. (Al Monitor)

Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed says Western airstrikes would be the beginning of the end for Pres. Assad. (Asharq Al Awsat)

The New York Times says Obama needs to make his case for action better. (New York Times)

Vali Nasr says US credibility is now on the line in Syria. (New York Times)

The LA Times says limited strikes make sense but a US-led campaign for regime change does not. (Los Angeles Times)

Blake Hounshell says Obama's decision might be good domestic politics but could turn out to be strategically catastrophic. (The National)

Steven Cook says he's changed his mind and now thinks US intervention would destroy Syria. (Washington Post)

J.J. Goldberg says all scenarios in Syria produce bad outcomes for the United States. (The Forward)

Rami Khouri warns US air strikes against Syria could violate international norms and backfire. (The Daily Star)

David Horovitz says Obama's decision to seek approval from Congress horrified many Israelis. (Times of Israel)

Yaron London says American "indecisiveness" on Syria shows Israel cannot rely on the United States. (YNet)

Peter Beinart says Jewish Americans are willfully ignoring the existential conundrums facing Israel. (New York Review of Books)

Jill Jacobs says Jewish Americans should see the fate of Israel's Bedouin communities as a test of Jewish values. (Ha'aretz)

Amira Hass looks at new arguments being used by the Israeli government to justify the destruction of eight villages near Hebron. (Ha'aretz)

Oudeh Basharat says there are plenty of overlooked reasons for optimism about the Arab world. (Ha'aretz)

Yan Barakat says peace between Israel and Jordan on paper needs to become culturally internalized. (Jerusalem Post)

Aaron Magid says the Israeli left should give PM Netanyahu more credit. (Jerusalem Post)

Bassem Sabry asks if Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood is all but destroyed. (Al Monitor)

Hussein Ibish says Arab Americans should learn from the March on Washington and embrace American politics. (The National)

NEWS:

US intelligence has spent considerable resources spying on foes, but also on Israel. (Washington Post)

Israel's Bedouin citizens feel betrayed by a mass relocation plan. (Reuters)

Palestinian officials reject Norwegian comments about cutting aid if there is no progress on peace. (Xinhua)

Egyptian naval vessels shoot at and arrest Palestinian fishermen near the Egypt-Gaza border. (Ma'an)

The US is still set for a limited strike against Syria despite a "no" vote in the British Parliament. (New York Times)

France says airstrikes against Syria could begin as early as Wednesday. (AFP)

Russia beefs up its naval presence off the Syrian coast in advance of potential airstrikes. (Los Angeles Times)

Potential US airstrikes in Syria pose new challenges to the Egyptian government and opposition. (New York Times)

PM Netanyahu says there is "a low probability" Israel will be drawn into conflict with Syria. (Times of Israel)

Sec. Hagel says the US is seeking an international coalition for action on Syria. (Xinhua)

Officials from various Palestinian factions oppose a US strike on Syria. (Jerusalem Post)

Egypt denies an Israeli ship docking permission for repairs. (AP)

Uganda denies cutting a deal with Israel over deported African migrants. (Reuters)

A Muslim Brotherhood member is shot and injured by Egyptian forces in Sinai unrest. (Ma'an) 

Eyewitnesses say a bloody August 24 attack in Sinai was conducted by an ambulance car bomb. (Asharq Al-Awsat)


COMMENTARY:

Hussein Ibish asks if Syria is being "Lebanized" or Lebanon being "Syrianized," as Hezbollah draws its country into the Syrian war (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

Michael Gordon says the purpose of US strikes on Syria will be to restore deterrence, not oust Pres. Assad. (New York Times)

Edward Joseph and Elizabeth O’Bagy ask what to do next after the US strike. (Foreign Policy)

Yoel Marcus says the use of chemical weapons and the question of Iran are the turning point for the US in Syria. (Ha'aretz)

Roger Cohen says Assad must be made to pay a price for using chemical weapons. (New York Times)

Ari Shavit says the US has no choice but to act in Syria. (Ha'aretz)

Jeffrey Goldberg thinks a US strike against Syria might actually make things worse. (Bloomberg)

Robin Wright asks what's the next step after US air strikes against Syria. (Los Angeles Times)

Caspian Makan says the world should have acted before Syria turned to chemical weapons. (YNet)

The Jerusalem Post asks if Syrian and Iranian threats of retaliation are just bluster. (Jerusalem Post)

Bradley Burston compares the evil taking place in Syria to Auschwitz. (Ha'aretz)

Hassan Haidar says Pres. Assad is "no longer an acceptable interlocutor." (Al Hayat)

Walid Choucair says the US is hoping airstrikes would lead to Geneva 2, or at least no more use of chemical weapons. (Al Hayat)

The Arab News says Saudi Arabia believes it's time for serious and decisive action against the Syrian regime. (The Arab News)

Arron Merat says the crisis over Syria offers a new opportunity for US-Iranian negotiations. (Al Monitor)

David Brooks says the biggest security threat in the world is growing sectarian tension in the Middle East. (New York Times)

Mara Revkin describes growing radicalization in the Sinai Peninsula. (Washington Post)

Seth Freedman says the Israeli military should praise, not punish, dancing Israeli soldiers. (The Guardian)

Daniel Byman asks if, in spite of its current difficulties, Hamas is actually winning in the long run. (The Washington Quarterly)

NEWS:

Palestinian officials claim they have a US letter of assurance that backs a Palestinian state and identifies Israeli settlement as illegal. (Xinhua)

The Egyptian envoy to Palestine accuses Hamas of incitement. (Al Monitor)

Egypt detains five Hamas members in connection with a mass shooting of Egyptian soldiers in Sinai. (Times of Israel)

Sec. Hagel says there are no plans to cut military aid to Egypt. (AFP)

Pres. Abbas has formed a committee to reach out to all sectors of Israeli civil society. (Xinhua)

Yesh Atid leader Lapid forbids his MKs from attending a Ramallah meeting with Abbas. (Ha'aretz)

A new Israeli government map would seem to endorse partition along the 1967 lines. (JTA)

Israelis take a stoical view of the chaos in neighboring countries. (New York Times)

Israelis are preparing for the consequences of a possible American strike on Syria. (New York Times)

Israel's former military intelligence chief says the US must choose the "best worst" option in Syria. (Ha'aretz)

Most Israelis don't think Syria will retaliate against them for an American strike, but they are preparing anyway. (Xinhua)

Israel approves a limited draft of military reservists. (Xinhua)

Israel pledges to hold Pres.Assad responsible if Hezbollah acts against Israel. (Jerusalem Post)

Israeli soldiers are disciplined for dancing while on patrol in the occupied Palestinian territories. (AP)

Israel arrests a Gaza man who was preparing to travel to a US-sponsored West Bank cultural event. (AP)

Some Palestinian schools in occupied East Jerusalem are switching to an Israeli curriculum. (Ma'an)

Israel backtracks on confiscating a Palestinian family's East Jerusalem hotel. (Ha'aretz)

A new Emergency Treatment Room of the Red Crescent Society Hospital in Jerusalem Is opened. (PNN)

Palestinian children are common all-but-invisible laborers in Israeli settlements. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

Two more UC campuses are exonerated of fostering an anti-Semitic climate. (Los Angeles Times)


COMMENTARY:

Lee Hamilton says Israeli-Palestinian peace is still essential. (Politico)

Daniel Seidemann and Lara Friedman say Netanyahu must rein in extremists and his cabinet for peace talks to survive. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

Akiva Eldar asks if there will be a place for Jews in a future Palestinian state. (Al Monitor)

Douglas Bloomfield says the US should rely more on public diplomacy, not threats, to keep Israel and the Palestinians at the negotiating table. (Jerusalem Post)

David Ignatius says US credibility is now on the line in Syria. (Washington Post)

Ari Shavit says the United States has no choice but to attack Syria. (Ha'aretz)

Eyad Abu Shakra says a US military strike will happen, but it's intentions are not yet clear. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Michael Young says US actions in Syria are likely to be limited. (The Daily Star)

Elias Harfoush says there seems to be a new Pres. Obama, thanks to Pres. Assad. (Al Hayat)

Manuel Almeida says Syria finds itself trapped between a warning and a game changer. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Gershon Baskin says increased security cooperation is essential to prevent further bloody confrontations in the occupied West Bank. (Jerusalem Post)

Amira Hass tries, in vain, to make sense of Israel's exit policies regarding Gaza residents. (Ha'aretz)

Carlo Strenger says Israel's right-wing doesn't realize the occupation is damaging its essential relations with the West. (Ha'aretz)

Hagai Segal says Israel's apology to Turkey over the deadly flotilla affair now looks like weakness. (YNet)

Joschka Fischer says Egypt, and much of the Middle East, is caught between dictatorship versus dictatorship. (Jordan Times)

Richard Behar asks why so many Palestinian high-tech entrepreneurs hated his cover story on their industry. (Forbes)

NEWS:

Four more Palestinian refugees are killed in the Syrian conflict. (Ma’an)

The Arab League denounces Syria for chemical weapons use but declines to back an American military response. (New York Times)

The US is seen as wanting to "punish" Syria for chemical weapons use but not seek immediate regime change. (AFP)

Iran says any attack against Syria would prompt retaliation against Israel. (New York Times)

Israel says it would retaliate against any attack. (Los Angeles Times)

Iran says Israeli "aggressions" against regional states must stop. (Xinhua)

Israel primarily fears Syrian missiles or nerve gas reaching Hezbollah. (Xinhua)

There is a rush in Israel for gas masks. (AP)

Palestinian police are investigating the killing of a Palestinian man by their own forces. (AP/Ma'an)

Experts say China has much at risk but little leverage in the Middle East. (Reuters)

Norway's FM warns Israel and the Palestinians that without progress, the world may stop bankrolling Palestinian state-building. (Jerusalem Post)

Other Gaza factions appear highly skeptical about Hamas' suggestions they join the government. (Al Monitor)

Egypt intensifies its crackdown on Gaza smuggling tunnels. (Daily Mail)

The US Dept. of Education dismisses complaints by Jewish students at UC Berkeley that criticism of Israel is "harassment." (Los Angeles Times)


COMMENTARY:

Michael Weiss says the US should try to oust Assad and lays out a scenario for how. (Foreign Affairs)

Frederic Hof evaluates Sec. Kerry's Syria speech. (Atlantic Council)

Aaron David Miller says the US has little to gain in Syria. (Foreign Policy)

Rami Khouri says there are no easy solutions in Syria. (The Daily Star)

Ali Ibrahim looks at American options in Syria. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Doyle McManus says the administration's goals in Syria are likely to be very modest. (Los Angeles Times)

David Rothkopf says whatever the administration does in Syria is likely to be too little, too late. (Foreign Policy)

Foreign Policy lists 35 sites in Syria it thinks are likely American targets. (Foreign Policy)

Nahum Barnea says Israel should not take any action in Syria. (New York Times)

Shlomi Eldar says Israel should be part of an anti-Assad coalition. (Al Monitor)

Anshel Pfeffer looks at American options in Syria. (Ha'aretz)

Mitch Ginsburg says, for Israel, it's a pity both sides in Syria can't lose. (Times of Israel)

Semih Idiz asks if Turkey's parliament will approve military action in Syria. (Al Monitor)

Khaled Diab says Israel remains a convenient scapegoat throughout the Islamic world. (Ha'aretz)

Ha'aretz says, if PM Netanyahu is serious about peace, he will stop damaging actions like the raid on Qalandiyah. (Ha'aretz)

Zvi Bar'el says Israel and the Palestinians have no choice but to cooperate in order to survive. (Ha'aretz)

Hillel Halkin says many Israelis feel vindicated by their skepticism about the "Arab Spring." (The Forward)

NEWS:

Palestinian source say, despite reports to the contrary, negotiators met in Jericho Monday night. (Xinhua/Ma'an)

Islamic Jihad joins Hamas in condemning the peace negotiations with Israel. (Al Monitor)

UNRWA condemns the killing of one of its staff members in Qalandia by Israeli occupation forces. (Ma'an)

Hamas is planning to execute another Palestinian convicted of spying for Israel. (Xinhua)

Suspected Jewish extremists attack an Arab neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem. (AP)

A Palestinian family moves into a cave after Israeli occupation forces destroy their home in East Jerusalem. (Ha'aretz)

The PA security forces spokesman says Hamas is "in a state of hysteria." (Ma'an)

Pres. Peres calls on the UN to end the bloodshed in Syria. (AP)

Israeli intelligence is said to be central to the US case on chemical weapons against Syria. (Times of Israel)

An Israeli delegation meets with National Security Advisor Rice. (YNet)

Tel Aviv schools deny that they are segregating and discriminating against African migrant children. (Jerusalem Post)

Palestinian journalists protest press restrictions by Israel, the PA and Hamas. (Times of Israel)

Former Israeli soldiers in Australia speak frankly about occupation tactics. (The Australian)


COMMENTARY:

Hussein Ibish says any US intervention in Syria should be strategic and designed to change the balance of power on the ground. (Now Media)

Faisal Al Yafai says the Kosovo crisis has lessons for Syria today. (The National)

Diana Moukalled says Pres. Assad is proceeding with life as normal. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Akiva Eldar says the tragedy in Syria is a warning for Israel. (Al Monitor)

Shlomi Eldar says an American attack on Syria will achieve very little, if anything. (Al Monitor)

Ben Sales says some Israelis see potential American action in Syria as a harbinger for Iran. (JTA)

Mohammad Salah says Pres. Obama is right that US-Egypt relations will never be the same, but mainly because Egyptians' views have changed. (Al Hayat)

Roni Schocken says Israel is moving towards becoming more "Jewish" and less "democratic". (Ha'aretz)

Gershom Gorenberg says PM Netanyahu is an effective politician but an incompetent manager. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

Avi Issacharoff says Palestinians will not accept explanations that "Israeli soldiers felt endangered" to justify killing demonstrators. (Times of Israel)

Amira Hass says individual horror stories cannot be ranked. (Ha'aretz)

Salman Masalha says the Arab world cannot move forward if it keeps looking back to its past. (Ha'aretz)

Shlomi Yass and Yuval Dagan look at surveys reflecting Arab views of democracy. (Jerusalem Post)

Diana Atallah and Linda Gradstein say the PA is moving to strengthen its ties with the new Egyptian government. (The Media Line)

NEWS:

At least 31 Palestinians are among the dead in an alleged chemical attack by Syrian government forces. (Ma'an/Ynet)

Pres. Assad warns the US against any intervention in Syria. (New York Times)

Israel urges American leaders to respond to Syrian "crimes." (AP)

Israelis do not believe they will be attacked if there is a US-led campaign against Syrian targets. (Times of Israel)

Under threat of further attacks, Hezbollah has turned its main neighborhood in Beirut into a fortress. (Christian Science Monitor)

Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah are also increasing. (The Media Line)

Three Palestinians are killed by Israeli occupation forces in a raid on a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. (New York Times/AP/Reuters)

Palestinian negotiators say they have suspended Monday's meetings in protest of the killings. (Xinhua/Ma'an)

The PA condemns and calls for an inquiry into the Qalandia killings. (Xinhua/Ma'an)

Thousands attend funerals for the victims of the Qalandia killings. (Ma'an)

Pres. Abbas insists Palestinians want to achieve peace through negotiations. (Ma'an)

Israel's Housing Minister Ariel declares there will never be a two-state solution. (Jerusalem Post)

Hamas says it will invite other factions to participate in ruling Gaza. (Xinhua)

Israel insists it's pressing forward with 1,500 settlement housing units in occupied East Jerusalem. (AP)

Egypt's FM Fahmi meets with Abbas in Ramallah, and expresses strong ties with Palestine. (Ma'an/Wafa)

Egypt reopens the Gaza border crossing after five days of closure. (New York Times/AP)

B’Tselem collects reports on torture and abuse against Palestinians by Israeli forces. (PNN)

Tel Aviv has introduced racially segregated kindergartens for African migrants. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

Jewish-Muslim dialogue is growing around the world. (Times of Israel)

Hamas and Fatah crack down on each other in the West Bank and Gaza, respectively. (Al Monitor)

Palestinians pioneer sign language banking. (Al Monitor)


COMMENTARY:

Hussein Ibish says the US remains the most important player in the Middle East, despite self-doubts, and should lead. (The National)

Shaul Arieli says both Israelis and Palestinians have to prepare for the potential for negotiations to fail. (Ha'aretz)

Amos Harel says Israel must prepare for the consequences of US strikes against Syria. (Ha'aretz)

Mitch Ginsburg says it is in Israel's interest that Assad not prevail. (Times of Israel)

Oudeh Basharat says talk of Israel being a "Jewish state" boils down to anti-Arab racism. (Ha'aretz)

Leonard Fein says justice demands a boycott of the Israeli settlement of Ariel in the occupied West Bank. (The Forward)

Dmitry Shumsky says Israel is undermining its national project by castigating various minorities as inferior. (Ha'aretz)

Mostafa Zein says Pres. Obama is trapped between pragmatism and idealism in the Middle East. (Al Hayat)

Ibrahim Al-Othaimain says Israeli-Iranian relations are driven by interests, not ideology. (Arab News)

Dominique Moisi says Israel is the "unlikely winner" from the Arab uprisings. (The Daily Star)

Ben Caspit thinks UNSG Ban's Middle East visit shows the West's waning influence in the region. (Al Monitor)

India Stoughton looks at a new book on the Palestinian side of Israel's West Bank separation barrier. (The Daily Star)

NEWS:

Israeli warplanes bomb an area south of Beirut, in retaliation for rockets fired into Israel. (The Daily Star/New York Times)

Two explosions rock the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli. (AP)

Israel may be preparing to approve 1,500 new settlement units in occupied East Jerusalem. (PNN)

The PA calls on the Middle East Quartet to stop Israel's settlement expansions. (Ma'an)

Israel calls anti-Japanese statements by one of its officials "unacceptable." (AP)

Pres. Abbas says the prisoner release issue is separate from peace talks. (Ma'an)

Abbas says there has been no progress in peace talks. (PNN)

Abbas affirms a peace agreement would end all claims against Israel. (Ha'aretz/Times of Israel)

Abbas will host Rosh Hashanah with Israeli MKs. (Jerusalem Post)

Israel expels a freed Palestinian prisoner from the West Bank to Gaza. (Xinhua)

Israel's chief negotiator Livni calls on the Labor Party to join the coalition and support peace talks with the Palestinians. (Xinhua)

Masked men stab a PA intelligence officer near Nablus. (Ma'an)

Hamas claims the youth movement calling for its ouster in Gaza was "trained by Egyptian intelligence." (Jerusalem Post)

The leader of a Salafist group in Gaza calls for a "Jihad" against the new Egyptian government. (Al Monitor)

Bedouins deny harboring militants as the conflict in Sinai intensifies. (Al Monitor)

Ultra-Orthodox tourism is thriving in Israel. (The Media Line)

Settlers and other Israelis complain Palestinians are "crossing freely" into Israel from certain parts of the West Bank. (Jerusalem Post)


COMMENTARY:

Ha'aretz says Israel should scrap proposed laws defining its "Jewish character" and move to integrate its Arab minority. (Ha'aretz)

Yair Ettinger says Israelis need to understand they can no longer rely on automatic support from Jewish Americans. (Ha'aretz)

Uri Savir says few Israeli politicians are honest with the public about the need for a peace agreement with the Palestinians. (Jerusalem Post)

Avi Issacharoff says Hamas is defiantly pushing back against Egypt, Israel and its recent losses. (Times of Israel)

Sarah Seltzer says, in a battle of competing boycotts, both Alice Walker and the University of Michigan Center for Education for Women are wrong. (The Forward)

Nathan Guttman says Israeli-Turkish relations are once again collapsing, despite US efforts at reconciliation. (The Forward)

Barın Kayaoğlu says PM Erdogan's latest remarks critical of Israel reflect a broader anti-Semitism. (Al Monitor)

Meir Javedanfar looks at the strained relationship between Hamas and Hezbollah. (Al Monitor)

Mazal Mualem interviews MK Issawi Frej, who explains why he joined a left-wing Israeli party. (Al Monitor)

Nabila Ramdani says, for peace to succeed, it's necessary for Sec. Kerry to understand what daily life under occupation is like. (New Statesman)

Sherine Bahaa questions the usefulness of the new peace talks. (Ahram Weekly)