NEWS: Palestinians continue to argue over who will be the next prime minister. Pres. Abbas and Hamas leader Mishaal will meet in Cairo to decide the issue. US officials try to resuscitate Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Israel says it expects the new Lebanese government to maintain the border truce. Israel’s navy prepares for the next Gaza flotilla. The head of the European Parliament says East Jerusalem should be the Palestinian capital. Ha’aretz interviews playwright Tony Kushner. A UN report says Syria encouraged border confrontations in the Golan Heights. PM Netanyahu says Palestinians won’t compromise even if their demands are met, and wants to form a block of 30 states at the UN to oppose Palestinian statehood. COMMENTARY: Etgar Keret says Netanyahu does not believe there is any possibility for a peace agreement. Leon Wieseltier says Jews must learn to trust their neighbors. Shaddad Attili says Israel’s water policies are extremely discriminatory against Palestinians. Avi Yesawich and Daniel Nisman say Israel’s 1967 borders are indeed defensible. Chris Gunness says attacks on UNRWA are unfounded. Jesse Rosenfeld and Joseph Dana say Palestinian nonviolence is their version of the “Arab Spring.” The Gulf News says Fayyad has been an excellent prime minister but Palestinian unity should not be derailed by disagreements over individuals. Jerome Segal says the UN should reestablish its Special Committee on Palestine. Immanuel Wallerstein says Israel faces severe diplomatic difficulties coming in September. Hussein Ibish says Arab-Americans should act as Americans of Arab heritage rather than Arabs living in the United States.

NEWS: The Palestinian national unity deal is threatened by the dispute over the future of PM Fayyad, as Hamas and Fatah leaders meet in Cairo. Israel is cracking down on Palestinian nonviolent protests. The UN says the Gaza blockade has strengthened Hamas. Deputy FM Ayalon visits Egypt. Israeli teachers are using unofficial curricula to teach about the Nakba. The UN says almost half of Gazans are unemployed. Occupation forces and Palestinians clash at a Jerusalem holy site. The vacancy at a key position for refugees leaves Palestinians in Lebanon without recourse. A US professor is trying to promote business startups as a vehicle for Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation. COMMENTARY: Richard Cohen says Turki al-Faisal’s warning about US favoritism towards Israel should be heeded. Akiva Eldar says even if Palestinians win UN recognition, that won’t mean much in practice. Gershon Baskin says nobody seems particularly interested in challenging the status quo in Israel and Palestine. Colette Avital says Israel’s only hope for remaining a Jewish, democratic state is to have a Palestinian state alongside it. Ilan Peleg and Dov Waxman look at what Israel needs to do for its Arab minority. The National says Fayyad has been a great Prime Minister but national unity is more important than any individual. Yossi Alpher says Israel should defend its borders but make gestures towards refugees. Ghassan Khatib says justice for the refugees is a crucial part of peace. Carlo Strenger says by going to the UN, Palestinians are seizing control of the situation.

Gazans welcome Egypt’s opening of the border. 1,600 settlers infiltrate Nablus without coordinating with the PA, and clash with Israeli forces. Officials say the new PA government will be announced on June 6. Israeli soldiers reportedly severely beat a Palestinian at a checkpoint near Hebron. Reuters asks if Palestine can become a member state of the UN, and says Israeli rhetoric about “indefensible borders” is a demand for more land. Pres. Abbas says he is determined to approach the UN in September, and the Arab League says it backs the move. Israel prepares for additional possible border protests. Israeli troops arrest eight Palestinians in the West Bank. An Israeli newspaper claims Abbas met with Pres. Peres secretly for “serious” negotiations. PM Netanyahu warns Egypt is loosing control of the Sinai. Zvi Bar'el says Hamas plays into Netanyahu’s “no partner” strategy. Akiva Eldar says Pres. Obama must confront Netanyahu on peace. Netanyahu presents a controversial plan to divide the Negev. Jeff Barak says Netanyahu’s speeches and poll numbers don’t change reality. Israelis say they’re not sure Obama made progress convincing Europeans to oppose a Palestinian UN bid. JJ Goldberg says Israel is not prepared for possible diplomatic developments in September. Mouin Rabbani says Egypt may open the border but will not take primary responsibility for Gaza. The Arab News says Palestinians have no choice but to go to the UN.

NEWS: Fatah says it wants PM Fayyad to continue in office but Hamas refuses. Analysts say this bodes poorly for national reconciliation. PM Netanyahu is mobilizing Europe against Palestinian statehood efforts at the UN. The White House discusses new peace ideas with leading Jewish Americans. Muhammad Dahlan is expelled from Fatah. A new arbitration agreement facilitates Palestinian-Israeli business links. Fayyad supports Stanley Fischer for IMF managing director. Women’s groups say the PA isn’t doing enough to combat “honor killings.” Egypt accuses an American man of being an Israeli spy. Living conditions in Gaza are slowly improving. COMMENTARY:Turki al-Faisal says US favoritism towards Israel is a failed policy. The LA Times hosts a debate between Mousa Abu Marzook and John Bolton on the UN role in Palestinian statehood. Akiva Eldar says Netanyahu ensures the world is against Israel. Merav Michaeli says the Israeli public is oblivious to the repression of Palestinian protesters. Jeff Barak says Israeli society has a long way to go before it becomes truly tolerant. The President of the European Parliament says there must be a peace agreement. Uri Avnery says Israel must make peace with all the Palestinians. Tony Karon says Palestinians doubts are Israel’s best weapon in September. Ha’aretz interviews French ambassador Valerie Hoffenberg on her government’s peace conference proposal.

NEWS: Amr Moussa reiterates that the Arab League is committed to Palestinian statehood. Gaza hospitals reportedly face a critical shortage of supplies. An Israeli lawsuit against Al Jazeera is dismissed. Given nternational opposition, Palestinian leaders are split on a UN statehood bid in September, and reports claim PM Fayyad is the foremost critic of the idea. Hamas says it will not accept that Fayyad continues in office. Ha’aretz outlines Israel’s strategy for combating Palestinian diplomatic plans to approach the UN. The BBC looks at the deadly incidents at the Golan Heights border. One of Hamas’ founders dies. COMMENTARY: Carlo Strenger says Israeli right-wingers are living in a colonial past. Alex Fishman says Israel needs to move quickly to develop nonlethal means to deal with unarmed protesters. The Gulf News says of 1967 borders are key to peace. Aijaz Zaka Syed says there needs to be an Arab lobby in the United States. Henry Siegman says Pres. Obama is wrong and that the UN could create a Palestinian state if the US supported that. Ha’aretz says it’s unclear whether or not unfolding events will lead to another intifada. The Economist says PM Netanyahu is trying to divert the attention of Israelis from diplomatic dangers ahead. The Forward looks at the language used by Netanyahu and Obama in recent weeks. A Palestinian teenager outlines the difficulties of living without citizenship. R.M. Schneiderman examines new claims that Henry Kissinger encouraged Egypt to attack Israel in 1973.

NEWS: Hamas blames PM Netanyahu for a snag in prisoner exchange talks, and is reportedly considering taking a back-seat in any new government. Hamas and Fatah officials will meet again in Cairo next week. The Palestinian leadership is reportedly divided over the wisdom of a UN statehood bid in September. Former Mossad chief Zvi Zamir expresses concern that Israeli forces have opened fire on unarmed demonstrators. Palestinian officials say they will continue to insist on a complete settlement freeze as a condition for renewed negotiations. International activists play a growing role in the occupied territories. The majority of Palestinians want PM Fayyad to continue in office. The BBC looks at the Palestinian youth movement in Gaza. Olivia Snaije recounts a bicycle trip through the occupied territories. COMMENTARY: Gideon Levy says Israel can’t complain about the Syrian government shooting protesters when it does the same at the border. Ari Shavit says Dagan is right about the need for peace with Palestinians but wrong in some of his comments on Iran. D. Bloomfield says the French peace conference proposal is a good opportunity for Pres. Abbas. Larry Derfner says the Israeli military should not shoot unarmed protesters. JJ Goldberg says Israel’s leaders need to listen to Dagan. Eric Alterman says only Republicans benefit from the rift between Pres. Obama and Netanyahu. George Hishmeh says Arab-Americans should organize to counter Israeli propaganda.

NEWS: Hamas blames PM Netanyahu for a snag in prisoner exchange talks, and is reportedly considering taking a back-seat in any new government. Hamas and Fatah officials will meet again in Cairo next week. The Palestinian leadership is reportedly divided over the wisdom of a UN statehood bid in September. Former Mossad chief Zvi Zamir expresses concern that Israeli forces have opened fire on unarmed demonstrators. Palestinian officials say they will continue to insist on a complete settlement freeze as a condition for renewed negotiations. International activists play a growing role in the occupied territories. The majority of Palestinians want PM Fayyad to continue in office. The BBC looks at the Palestinian youth movement in Gaza. Olivia Snaije recounts a bicycle trip through the occupied territories. COMMENTARY: Gideon Levy says Israel can’t complain about the Syrian government shooting protesters when it does the same at the border. Ari Shavit says Dagan is right about the need for peace with Palestinians but wrong in some of his comments on Iran. D. Bloomfield says the French peace conference proposal is a good opportunity for Pres. Abbas. Larry Derfner says the Israeli military should not shoot unarmed protesters. JJ Goldberg says Israel’s leaders need to listen to Dagan. Eric Alterman says only Republicans benefit from the rift between Pres. Obama and Netanyahu. George Hishmeh says Arab-Americans should organize to counter Israeli propaganda.

NEWS: Gunmen from a faction loyal to the Syrian regime kill at least 11, and up to 20, Palestinians in a refugee camp. According to Jackson Diehl, Palestinians have shifted their demands for resuming negotiations from a settlement freeze to acceptance of the 1967 borders with land swaps as the basis for talks. The Egypt-Gaza border is reopened. After a grant from Algeria, the PA resumes paying salaries. Analysts look at difficulties facing a proposed French peace conference. Decades later, the 1967 Israeli attack on the USS Liberty continues to stir controversy. All parties are focused on European votes in the run-up to a possible Palestinian UN bid in September. A new UN report casts doubt on economic progress in the West Bank. COMMENTARY: Carmel Gould says media coverage of the conflict is becoming more balanced. Pankaj Mishra says in Palestine, as in India before it, the burden of nonviolence falls on the powerless. Tariq Alhomayed says the regimes in Syria and Iran are exploiting the Palestinian issue. Khalaf Al Habtoor says few Arabs realize the extent of Iranian-Israeli dealings at the Arab expense. Rami Khouri says PM Netanyahu is being dishonest about the refugee issue. Osama Al Sharif says Palestinians should focus on nonviolent protests against the occupation. Pierre Klochendler says Israelis are rightly concerned about the potential for another intifada after September. Yossi Alpher says there needs to be a better way of dealing with the Egypt-Gaza border. Arnaud de Borchgrave looks at conundrums facing Netanyahu.

NEWS: Israel disputes Syria’s account of the deadly Golan border incident. Palestinians accuse settlers of torching a mosque in the occupied West Bank, and PM Netanyahu condemns the attack. 14 Palestinians are reportedly killed in a refugee camp in Syria. Palestinian officials deny that Washington meetings are indirect talks with Israel. The Media Line looks at legal obstacles to a Palestinian bid for statehood at the UN. Robert Fisk of the Independent purports to have new details on the Palestinian reconciliation agreement. Israel’s plans to forcibly relocate 30,000 Bedouins is denounced as “cruel.” COMMENTARY: Sefi Rachlevsky says Meir Dagan is being subjected to unfair attacks. Ha’aretz says Israel had a tactical victory and a strategic defeat at the Golan border. Gershon Baskin says that whatever happens in September, a third violent intifada must be prevented at all costs. Joseph Dana says Israel’s occupation looks permanent. The Jordan Times and Gulf News say Israel has again shown its true colors at the Golan border. Palestinian nonviolent activist Bassem Tamimi addresses the Israeli military court which is trying him. Ephraim Sneh says the Palestinian and Israeli right-wings stand against a two-state solution. Ghassan Khatib says all Palestinians are affected by the Gaza blockade. Issam Younis says Israel’s claims to no longer be responsible for Gaza are false.

Mustafa Barghouthi says peace requires accepting that Palestinians are equal humans to Israelis. Ha’aretz says PM Netanyahu must accept the French invitation. David Horovitz looks at Israel’s battle to convince European states not to support a Palestinian UN statehood bid. Jacques Neriah says Israel has no idea how to deal with unarmed demonstrators. The Jerusalem Post says if critics of Dagan think he’s wrong, they must say why. Ronen Medzini says Israelis remain deeply concerned about possible diplomatic developments in September. The National says Israel’s isolation is growing. Adel Safty says Pres. Obama has shown his approach is different from former Pres. Bush in substance as well as style. Kieron Monks says discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel is growing. Alain Gresh looks at the Palestinian version of the “Arab Spring.” Tal Becker says Israelis urgently need to create a new discourse and strategy.