NEWS:

Palestinian officials say Pres. Abbas is torn between accepting US peace talk proposals and a public backlash for dropping a settlement freeze precondition. (YNet/Times of Israel)

Palestinian officials say Israel is "destroying" Sec. Kerry's peace efforts with new settlement activity. (Xinhua/Times of Israel)

Other Palestinian officials say Kerry's prospects are dim if Israel continues settlement expansion. (Jerusalem Post)

Israeli officials say Palestinian leaders are "inventing excuses" to avoid resuming peace talks. (Ha'aretz)

Palestinian girls are pioneering new methods of resisting occupation without resorting to throwing stones. (NPR)

Reports suggest Hezbollah urges Hamas members and officials to "leave Lebanon immediately." (Middle East Online)

Hamas calls on Egypt to renegotiate elements of the peace treaty with Israel. (Al Monitor)

Israeli forces arrest 13 Palestinians in raids throughout occupied East Jerusalem. (Ma'an)

Israeli forces destroy Bedouin homes in the Negev desert for the second time in two weeks. (Ma'an)

France 2 hits back at the Israeli government after a new official report on the Mohammed al-Dura affair. (Ha'aretz)

Abbas signs a new law providing insurance for Palestinian bank deposits. (Bloomberg)

Arab firms vie for Gaza reconstruction projects launched and funded by Qatar. (Xinhua)

Palestinian refugees fleeing Syria find poor conditions in Lebanon. (New York Times)

When the Syrian government shells rebels, Israel goes on alertand pays close attention. (Reuters)

Israel says it is "checking" into reports that Syria received Russian S-300 missiles. (Reuters)

Pres. Assad implies the missiles have already been delivered. (AFP)

Israel and Greece are weighing establishing a group that would jointly handle regional emergencies. (Xinhua)

PM Netanyahu says he wants 10 million tourists to visit Israel in the next 10 years. (Xinhua)

An Israeli entrepreneur hopes that backpackers can be the bedrock of sustainable tourism. (Christian Science Monitor)

Palestinian trade with the rest of the world is held back by both self-imposed and Israeli restrictions. (The Guardian)

FIFA says it will negotiate ongoing disputes about football between Palestine and Israel. (Reuters)

Young Gazans are using skateboarding as a means of escapism. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Palestinian artist Bashir Makhoul explores his people's experience through his work. (Times Literary Supplement)

COMMENTARY:

Francis Matthew says Kerry's economic stimulus program for Palestine is no substitute for diplomatic progress. (Gulf News)

Gershon Baskin says Kerry's peace initiative can succeed despite doubters. (Jerusalem Post)

Brent Sasley says the Israeli public would follow its leaders in accepting a peace agreement with the Palestinians. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

Aaron David Miller asks if peace conferences, whether involving Syria or Israel and the Palestinians, do more harm than good. (Los Angeles Times)

Oded Eran suggests alternative ways forward other than a two-state solution. (The National Interest)

Larry Derfner says casting equal blame on both sides merely strengthens the occupation. (+972)

Samuel Lebens says the quest for peace can be helped by empowering moderate settler leaders. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

Ari Shavit says the gradual but growing US disengagement from the Middle East bodes ill, especially for the downtrodden. (Ha'aretz)

Ha'aretz says proposed new Israeli legislation is nothing short of apartheid against Arabs. (Ha'aretz)

Patrick Strickland says Syrians in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights are divided over attitudes towards the Assad regime. (Al Monitor)

Or Kashti says Israel's new education minister is taking a healthier attitude towards Arab education, and better policies must follow. ( Ha'aretz)

Gideon Levy says it's time to look at Ben Gurion's dark side. (Ha'aretz)

Lena Odgaard interviews Ihab al-Ghussein, head of Hamas' media office, who says reports of anti-westernization campaigns are "smears" against the group. (Al Monitor)

Khairallah Khairallah asks if Jordan is going to be able to revive the Palestinian cause. (Al Arabiya)

NEWS:

Israeli occupation forces demolish two Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ma'an)

Israeli authorities open an investigation of police and border guards for allegedly abusing a Palestinian. (Xinhua)

Hamas angrily retorts to Pres. Abbas' recent speech by saying capturing Israeli soldiers is essential. (Times of Israel)

Hamas continues to function in the West Bank despite continued efforts to suppress its activities by the PA. (Reuters)

Israeli settlers torch Palestinian vehicles in the occupied West Bank. (Xinhua)

Israeli occupation forces arrest Hamas, Fatah and Islamic Jihad activists in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. (Ma'an)

Abbas commemorates the anniversary of the creation of the PLO. (Ma'an)

Israel's chief negotiator Livni says Abbas should be pressured to negotiate. (Jerusalem Post)

Former FM Lieberman takes the stand in his corruption trial. (Xinhua)

Muslim clerics visit Auschwitz and learn about the Holocaust firsthand. (The Forward)

A Dubai-based charity employs Palestinian women in the occupied territories making handcrafted clothing and fashion accessories. (The National)

COMMENTARY:

The New York Times says Israelis and Palestinians would be foolish to squander Kerry's "determined and encouraging" peacemaking efforts. (New York Times)

The ICG says Palestinian politics are transforming quickly, and need to be protected by immediate economic, security and diplomatic measures. (International Crisis Group)

Osama Al Sharif says it would be great for the US to help the Palestinians rebuild their economy, but if independence doesn't follow, then it's all a ruse. (Jordan Times)

Stephen Walt says, if Kerry is trying to bribe the Palestinians, it won't work. (Foreign Policy)

Zvi Bar'el says by presenting Abbas as a partner, Pres. Peres is challenging a major platform of Israeli propaganda. (Ha'aretz)

Ariela Ringel-Hoffman says the Israeli right can rely on Abbas to disprove Peres' assessment every time. (YNet)

Shlomi Eldar reiterates that a two-state solution is practically, but not at present politically, possible, but he has no idea what the alternative might be. (Al Monitor)

Adnan Abu Amer interviews jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti. (Al Monitor)

The New York Times and the LA Times separately interview gambling mogul Sheldon Adelson, who is noted for his support of far right-wing Israeli causes. (New York Times/Los Angeles Times)

James Cartwright and Amos Yadlin say the US, not Israel, should launch any strike against Iranian nuclear facilities and explain how. (The Atlantic)

Carlo Strenger says Jewish identity is not racist or nationalist. (Ha'aretz)

Moshe Arens says Israel desperately needs to rethink its approach to its Bedouin citizens. (Ha'aretz)

Omar Shaban says the Palestinian Securities Exchange should be transformed from a private to a public company. (Al Monitor)

NEWS:

Sec. Kerry holds meetings with Israeli and Palestinian officials in Amman and may reveal a new initiative in coming weeks. (Jerusalem Post)

Senior Israeli negotiator Livni says some Israelis are using security as an excuse not to pursue peace. (Jerusalem Post)

A senior economic adviser to Pres. Abbas says the political climate is not appropriate for Kerry's plans to revive the Palestinian economy and says Palestinians won't make concessions for economic gains alone. (Ma'an)

Many Palestinians are leery of Kerry's focus on the economy and insist aid is no substitute for negotiations. (Christian Science Monitor/The National)

Palestinian officials complain that the US, UK and Arab states are trying to steamroll them into accepting Kerry's proposal for renewed negotiations. (Ha'aretz)

DM Yaalon says a shipment of Russian S-300 missiles has not left for Syria yet, but Israel may act if it does. (Reuters)

A senior Palestinian official criticizes the participation of Palestinian companies in a programming forum held in Israel. (Xinhua/Ma'an)

Religious Zionism is emerging as Israel's most powerful pressure group. (Ha'aretz)

Palestinian workers describe commuting to jobs in Israel as "torturous." (Ma'an)

Some American Jewish leaders are quietly concerned about proposals to arm Syrian rebels. (The Forward)

Israeli fashion designers are beginning to see advantages in manufacturing in the occupied West Bank. (Ha'aretz)

A group of prominent activists say UEFA should not allow Israel to host the European Under-21 finals next month, given its policies towards the Palestinians. (The Guardian)

Senior Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood figure El-Erian says Fatah is seeking to undermine security in Sinai. (Ahram Online)

A Palestinian singer from Gaza inches closer to winning this year's Arab Idol TV singing contest. (Washington Post)

COMMENTARY:

The National says the US plan to boost the Palestinian economy is vital. (The National)

David Horovitz says Kerry's economic proposal is "ridiculous." (Times of Israel)

Khaled Abu Toameh says Palestinians are complaining Kerry is trying to "bribe them" to "sell out." (Gatestone Institute)

David Ignatius examines Kerry's Middle East peace initiative. (Washington Post)

Akiva Eldar says a new poll suggests that if PM Netanyahu adopted the principles of the Arab Peace Initiative, most Israelis would back him. (Al Monitor)

S. Daniel Abraham says Steven Hawking's conference boycott was wrong but Israeli policies are self-destructive. (Ha'aretz)

Amira Hass says neither Israelis nor Palestinians want to be reminded how many of each other's children they have killed since 2000. (Ha'aretz)

Robert Menendez says Middle East turmoil will only strengthen the US-Israel alliance. (Ha'aretz)

Eyal Megged says, whether Israelis like it or not, Jerusalem is a divided city. (Ha'aretz)

Chris Gunness says recent attacks on UNRWA are ill-informed and wrong. (YNet)

Kenneth Bandler says Israeli-Palestinian high-tech cooperation could be very useful. (Jerusalem Post)

AP interviews Deputy FM Elkin, who says he's proud to be an Israeli settler in occupied Palestinian territories. (AP)