Israel is accused of restricting access to Palestinian detainees. A Ha'aretz commentary says Israel is alienating its Arab citizens. Fatah leaders are concerned about Israel's commitment to security cooperation. Israel's comptroller says it has failed on Arab public diplomacy. A Jerusalem Post analysis says Saudi Arabia will not succeed in crafting an independent Arab alliance in the Middle East. A Guardian commentary decries the situation facing Palestinians in Hebron. Elliott Abrams says the focus should be on developing the West Bank rather than peace talks. The Forward looks at rising mistrust between the US and Israel in recent weeks. The Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem is slammed for selling land in the occupied territories to Israel. Ali Ibrahim says Egypt has a right to defend its borders. Asharq Al-Awsat interviews Hamas leader Musa Abu Marzuq. A commentary in the Gulf News says the US must get tough on Israel, and the Jordan Times says Pres. Abbas is right to be wary of negotiating with PM Netanyahu. Daoud Kuttab reflects on the Palestinian need for dignity. Saudi Arabia and China say Israel is scuttling peace efforts. Internecine Palestinian violence spreads from the occupied territories to Lebanon. An ATFP original translation of a Hassan Al-Battal commentary argues that Islamists are degrading the centrality of the Palestinian question.

Pres. Abbas says he would return to negotiations if Israel halted settlement activity "for a fixed time." Hamas is seeking to lower tensions with Israel and Egypt, and vows to halt any attacks against Israel from Gaza. PM Fayyad accuses Israel of trying to isolate the PA, and launches a fund aimed at ridding the Palestinian economy of settlement products. More extreme groups challenge Hamas in Gaza. The US expresses support for Egypt's new Gaza border wall. Egypt reiterates its insistence on the creation of a Palestinian state. A Ha'aretz commentary says PM Sharon succeeded in cutting Israelis off from the realities of conflict. A YNet commentary says FM Lieberman's policies are making Israel look ridiculous. A huge majority of Israelis support negotiations with the PLO. The Pope calls for a two state solution. Rami Khouri says he has not lost his faith in the American people, but Osama Al Sharif warns of the dangers of failed negotiations. An ATFP original translation of an article by Hassan Khader critiques the "mass-man" mentality in the contemporary Arab world.

National Security Advisor Jones will visit the Middle East next week, and reports suggest the administration is considering letters of assurance to Israel and the Palestinians. Officials say there are no plans to cut aid to Israel. David Brooks says Israel's economic success may create greater differences with its neighbors. Work begins on the first Palestinian planned city. Israeli robotics are reshaping contemporary warfare. Fatah leaders review prospects for peace. PM Netanyahu vows Israel will never share Jerusalem, and a Ha'aretz commentary says he needs to prove his interest in peace. A Ynet commentary says Israel is turning into the new Sparta. The JTA asks whether last year's improvements in the West Bank can be maintained in 2010. Hamas struggles to prevent more extreme groups launching rocket attacks on southern Israel. Several commentaries say a new diplomatic framework and more US leadership are needed.

Jackson Diehl says the Obama administration may not have learned hard lessons about Middle East peace. The LA Times says conditions are not ripe for a new Palestinian uprising and that recent attacks are testing new Israeli security measures. Sec. Clinton urges the parties to resume negotiations. Special Envoy Mitchell says the US could reduce aid to Israel to induce cooperation on peace. Israel launches airstrikes that kill 3 in Gaza, issues threats to Palestinians, and is considering recognizing more unauthorized settlements. Gideon Levy says Israel's behavior can only be explained by psychiatrists. Israel is building a fence along its border with Egypt. The PA demands an apology from an extremist cleric who raised the possibility of stoning Pres. Abbas. PM Netanyahu criticizes Palestinian security forces. The Guardian profiles Palestinian refugees. The National says peace is still possible, the Jordan Times says Israel must agree to a settlement freeze and the Arab News says that Israel may use a two-year time-frame to increase settlements.

Special Envoy Mitchell seeks to restart peace negotiations and is interviewed by Charlie Rose. Israel agrees to pay the UN $10.5 million in Gaza war damages. Hamas' military options are being constrained by anti-smuggling efforts and a new Israeli rocket defense system. Abbas is shoring up Arab support for the Palestinian position. Israeli air attacks kill three Palestinians in Gaza. Israel has announced a further easing of its temporary, partial settlement moratorium. A senior PLO official says talks may begin within weeks, but Israel reiterates its rejection of a two-year timetable. The Independent publishes a recollection of the Gaza war. The Jordan Times says ownership of the Dead Sea scrolls should be determined by international mediation. The Arab News says Israel's new rocket defense system removes the justification for the siege of Gaza. Egypt's ambassador to Saudi Arabia says its new Gaza border barrier is aimed at smuggling of contraband, not food, and Abdel-Moneim Said says Egypt is defending its vital national interests. Aaron Miller says the Obama administration is beginning to recognize the difficulties of pursuing Middle East peace.

An Egyptian soldier is killed and several Palestinians injured as violence erupts at the Gaza border, and Israel reportedly drops leaflets into the Strip. Egypt says it is "losing patience" with Hamas. A convoy of international activists is allowed into Gaza, and a Holocaust survivor explains to the LA Times why she joined the effort. An Israeli human rights group distributes video cameras to Gaza residents. US urges the international community to support new peace talks, and denies that the White House Chief of Staff threatened a suspension of engagement. Special Envoy George Mitchell says peace talks can be concluded in two years. Jeremy Ben-ami of J Street responds to Israel's ambassador to the United States. A report in a leading Israeli newspaper suggests PM Netanyahu may be amenable to a workable peace agreement. Daoud Kuttab analyzes the controversy over ownership of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Several articles examine prospects for renewed peace negotiations. PM Fayyad pledges to remove all settlement products from the Palestinian economy. The IDF will seek legal advice during future armed conflicts. Saudi Arabia backs Egypt's plan for new negotiations. The "Popular Resistance Committee" pledges vengeance after an Israeli attack kills one of its senior leaders. The US government says Israeli settlement activity in occupied East Jerusalem is harming prospects for peace. PM Netanyahu urges the international community to pressure Palestinians to return to negotiations. Egyptian police clash with international protesters. The Forward reviews Joe Sacco's new graphic novel about an Israeli massacre of Palestinians in Gaza in the 1950s. Hamas is under popular pressure to reconcile with Fatah. Emile Hokayem says both Israel and Hezbollah are preparing for a new conflict. Tariq Alhomayed says that Saudis will judge Hamas by their deeds and not their words.

43 Palestinian officers are jailed, fined or demoted for abusing Hamas detainees, and PM Fayyad says past "excesses" will be halted. PM Netanyahu and other Israeli officials hint at potential for progress on negotiations, and reports suggest they oppose a "borders first" agenda. Israel approves four new settler buildings and the expansion of a Jewish religious school in occupied East Jerusalem. Israeli military officials cancel a trip to the UK for fears of arrest over human rights violations. A new "Israeli only" highway is planned in the occupied West Bank. A commentary in Ha'aretz says that a settlement freeze is in Israel's interest, and another argues for the release of jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti independent of a prisoner swap with Hamas. A commentary in YNet argues in favor of boycotts and sanctions against Israel to promote peace. JTA looks at enforcement of the partial building moratorium. Jewish voices are among those protesting the siege of Gaza. Daoud Kuttab complains about the quality of Palestinian television programming for children, and says negotiations need to focus on the future of Jerusalem. Ghassan Khatib says that Israel's settlement construction and other measures over the past decade are "almost irreversible." Palestine forms a committee to seek membership in the WTO.

Rep. Mike Honda says two states are the only path to peace in the Middle East. Hamas prisoners report that abuses in Palestinian jails ceased in October. The LA Times profiles a major West Bank highway that has been closed to Palestinian traffic. Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni says peace is possible. Reports suggest that a new US plan envisages a Palestinian state within two years, but Israeli FM Lieberman calls this "unrealistic" and orders his diplomats not to "grovel." A Ha'aretz commentary asks settlers what kind of future they are building, and another argues there is very little difference between the occupation and apartheid. PM Fayyad looks forward to a Palestinian state free of fences and settlements, and Pres. Abbas reiterates that a settlement freeze is the precondition for renewed negotiations. A commentary in the Guardian says Israel is using water to harass Bedouins. The National says Israel is ready for another war in Gaza which is "ready to explode," and profiles bereaved physician Izzeldin Abuelaish. Hamas says it would join Hezbollah in any future conflict with Israel. Time Magazine reviews a year of Mideast missteps. Egyptian clerics quarrel over the legitimacy of Egypt's new barrier along the Gaza border.

Egypt allows 100 protesters into Gaza. 2009 saw a sharp drop in casualties in the occupied West Bank. Activists are helping civilians overcome the trauma of the Gaza war. Pres. Abbas says no effort will be spared to aid civilians in Gaza. A new report anticipates significant growth in the Palestinian economy. Ha'aretz reports that settlement construction is "booming" in the occupied West Bank, and runs a commentary saying Israel must tell settlers they can remain in a Palestinian state only as Palestinian citizens. PM Netanyahu proposes a peace summit. Authorities arrest, then release an Israeli settler in connection with last month's mosque arson. Palestinians say dramatic developments on peace are possible in the near future. The fate of jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti may be key to an Israel-Hamas prisoner swap. The BBC says Gaza's economy has moved literally underground. American Jewish organizations back a former Somali official accused of human rights violations in an effort to protect Israel from lawsuits. Stalled peace talks have deepened the divide among Palestinians. The UAE manages to get humanitarian aid into Gaza. Backlash over the Gaza war has affected Israel's diplomacy. Ghassan Khatib says the two state solution is still alive, but being killed by Israeli settlement activity.