NEWS: Pres. Peres criticizes speculation in Israel about a unilateral attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. A former senior Israeli official says government leaders told him they could be dissuaded from any such attack. DM Barak says only the Israeli government will decide on whether or not to attack Iran, but the debate in Israel continues to rage. Six Palestinians are wounded by a firebomb attack in a suspected Israeli settler “price tag” terrorist action. Palestinian gays look for a safe space for social activism for their cause. Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons are pressing for prisoner of war status. The Israeli Foreign Ministry is continuing to press the issue of Jewish refugees and immigrants to Israel from Arab states to offset the Palestinian refugee issue. Hamas and Egypt are reportedly broadening their security coordination regarding extremists In Sinai. Peace Now complains about an Israeli military commander's assertion that Israel has sovereignty in occupied Hebron. The American peacekeeping force in Sinai is being threatened by growing levels of extremist violence. Asharq Al-Awsat cites unnamed sources as saying no Palestinians were involved in the attack on Egyptian forces in Sinai. COMMENTARY: Roger Cohen says Israel should resist the temptation to attack Iran. L. Michael Hager says the world cannot tolerate a preemptive Israeli attack against Iran. Yoel Marcus says Israel is damaging itself with its psychological warfare against Iran. Nir Hasson says he interviewed people who saw Jewish Israeli youths attempting to lynch Palestinians. Dennis Ross thinks Israel's threats against Iran are mainly intended to spur greater international determination on confronting Iran's nuclear program. Benny Morris thinks Israel is really preparing to attack Iran. Jonathan Ben-Artzi describes what it's like to be a Jewish Israeli pacifist. Colin Kahl says Pres. Obama has been a great friend to Israel. The Economist says Gaza may be ready for a major building boom.

NEWS: Two Palestinians are killed as the Syrian government shells a Palestinian refugee camp near Damascus. Unidentified explosions occur in a city in southern Israel. Some Israeli estimates anticipate a month-long conflict after a potential strike on Iranian nuclear targets. Families of slain Iranian nuclear scientists plan to sue Israel. Israel is raising the quota of Palestinian workers from the occupied territories to 30,000. Tension is rising on the Israel-Lebanon border. Muslim extremists are suspected in a bombing attack on a hair salon in a refugee camp in Gaza. Hundreds of Israelis petition IDF pilots to refuse potential orders to bomb Iran. In defiance of Israel's attorney general, government ministers decide to hand a building in occupied Hebron over to Israeli settlers. Egyptian troops are being reportedly deployed in northern Sinai without Israel's prior approval. Palestinians flock to Jerusalem as Israel eases restrictions for Ramadan prayers. The United Church of Canada votes to boycott goods produced in Israeli settlements, including occupied East Jerusalem. Secular Israelis are gentrifying some settlements. A ships sailing from Indonesia to Australia that includes 28 Palestinian passengers has been missing at sea for 48 days. COMMENTARY: Daniel Byman and Natan Sachs say Israel must move quickly to stop settler terrorism in the occupied West Bank. Adam Gonn says chances of Palestinian success at the UN later this year are slim. Ha'aretz says rather than being angry with the EU, Israel should examine its own conduct regarding settlements. Eitan Haber says Israeli leaders need to listen to what American officials are telling them regarding Iran. Attila Somfalvi says that message is to stop pretending that Israel on its own can do much damage to Iranian nuclear progress. Frank Lautenberg says Mitt Romney and other Republicans are “playing politics” with Israel. Jonathan Rosen says Israel's government isn't despotic and the threats the country faces are real and existential. Kenneth Stern says in spite of its repeated failures, the BDS campaign remains a danger to Israel. The National says Israeli politicians pushing for war with Iran may be acting with regard to personal and political gain. Aaron David Miller says the US doesn't really care that much about political freedom or peace in the Middle East. Hussein Ibish suggests American politicians should read Bernard Lewis more carefully and add other historians to the mix.

NEWS: Individual “lone soldiers” from countries around the world are volunteering for Israeli military service. A Palestinian prisoner detained by Israel is refusing water after 2 months on hunger strike. An Israeli human rights group is asking a court to prevent the demolition of five Bedouin villages in the Negev desert to make way for new Jewish farms. Israel is training its diplomats in using Twitter and other social media. PM Netanyahu has reportedly decided to bury the Levy Committee Report rather than dealing in any way with its recommendations. Israel's ambassador to the US says Israel's clock on Iran is “ticking faster." Sec. Panetta says he doesn't think Israel has made any decision. A former Obama administration official says Israeli threats towards Iran should be taken “very seriously.” PA spokesman Khatib resigns. Despite Israeli restrictions, the PLO holds a Ramadan event in occupied East Jerusalem. Egypt is reportedly about to resume efforts to foster Palestinian national reconciliation. The South African government refutes Israel's claims that by boycotting settlement goods, it is boycotting Israel itself. Israel protests the inclusion of several localities on an EU list of Israeli settlements. The Lebanese Army is relocating in the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp. The PA grants 4.7 million NIS to West Bank universities. COMMENTARY: Hussein Ibish reviews a new book on key terms in the writings of Edward Said. Avi Issacharoff asks what's the point of Israel's psychological warfare against Iran. Carlo Strenger looks at a new film that refuses to portray Israeli soldiers as either monsters or heroes. Brandon Davis contrasts an Israeli settlement and a nearby Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank that share the same name, but little else. Emily Hauser says proposed new restrictions barring undocumented migrants and stateless Palestinians from filing suit in Israeli courts are part of a broader pattern of an Israeli siege mentality. Frida Ghitis says Israel may benefit from the “Arab Spring." Daniel Byman and Natan Sachs look at the rise of settler terrorism in the occupied West Bank.

NEWS: Palestinians are seeking international support for renewed efforts at greater recognition at the UN. Egypt will reportedly reopen its border crossing with Gaza, as Palestinians are stranded waiting to return. Israel is engaged in an unprecedented debate about the prospect of war with Iran. DM Barak is delaying approval of full university status recognition for a school in an Israeli settlement. The Israeli Defense Ministry asks for several billion additional shekels for 2013. An Israeli human rights group calls on authorities to reopen investigations of police misconduct against Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem. Israel is moving forward with plans to evict 1500 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank to make way for a military firing range. Palestinians brace for power cuts as Israel's electricity company threatens to cut supplies due to unpaid debts. Palestine opens a consulate in the Dominican Republic. Pres. Morsy is reportedly considering asking for amendments to the peace treaty with Israel, particularly regarding Egyptian sovereignty in the Sinai Peninsula. A Palestinian male ballet dancer is challenging cultural expectations. Israeli diplomats say South Africa's boycott of settlement products, including those from occupied East Jerusalem, amounts to a boycott of Israel itself. Avi Dichter resigns from the Knesset to become Minister of Home Front Defense. Organizations in the United States launch a campaign to prevent Hezbollah and other designated foreign terrorist organizations from using social media such as YouTube and Twitter. Palestinian refugees who fled Syria to Lebanon are mired in a bureaucratic limbo. Palestinians are increasingly concerned about aggressive Israeli moves in “Area C." COMMENTARY: ATFP Pres. Ziad Asali says Palestinian culture should be fairly evaluated. The New York Times says it's irresponsible for Israel to be talking about war with Iran when diplomacy is still viable and ongoing. Avi Issacharoff says Gazans are hoping that Egypt will ease its clampdown on smuggling tunnels. Alex Fishman says the shakeup at the top of the Egyptian military doesn't bode well for relations with Israel. J.J. Goldberg says Pres. Obama should welcome Palestinian moves for UN nonmember observer state status, but with certain conditions. Ben Caspit says Israeli leaders should stop chattering about attacking Iranian nuclear facilities and decide whether to do it or not. Gershom Gorenberg says few Israelis appreciate the true value of the effectiveness of Palestinian security forces in the West Bank. Mohamed Fadel Fahmy says no one really knows what happened in the Sinai attack against Egyptian forces. Aaron David Miller says Israel will continue to have its state but, under the current circumstances, Palestinians, other Arabs and Iran will not allow them to " completely enjoy it."

NEWS: The US and Egypt increase security talks after the Sinai attack. The Israeli tourism industry is booming. Memorials for victims of suicide attacks proliferate on a road in Jaffa. The Knesset is considering a bill that would segregate prayer times at the al-Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount. Palestinians remain divided over an official's visit to Auschwitz. More Gaza families visit relatives in Israeli prison. 11 Palestinians are killed and many more injured in a car pileup at Bala junction east of Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank. A Palestinian media watchdog group says violations of media freedoms in the occupied territories were slightly lower in 2012 and 2011, the bulk still being committed by Israeli occupation authorities. Another Egyptian military official suggests Hamas probably knew about the Sinai attack in advance. Rhetoric and pro forma preparations for a potential attack on Iran are in full swing in Israel. Former Israeli settlers evacuated from Gaza are growing distant from the settler movement. COMMENTARY: Amira Hass says Palestinians are moving to exercise authority in “Area C.” Akiva Eldar says it's amazing that many Israelis still prefer the prospect of regional war over peace. Carlo Strenger says if things continue as they are, by the end of PM Netanyahu's term in office, the two-state solution will be dead as he has intended all along. Eitan Haber says Israel's present core of leadership lacks the experience to make momentous decisions such as those regarding Iran. Nathan Guttman looks at efforts in Congress to raise the issue of Jewish refugees from Arab states to offset the Palestinian refugee final status issue. Ben Caspit asks if Netanyahu and DM Barak are really determined to attack Iran, and Dimi Reider says military officials may defy them anyway. Brandon Davis looks at competing Israeli and Palestinian views of an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank built on privately owned Palestinian land. Pierre Klochendler looks at how Israelis and Palestinians struggle over archaeology and its interpretation in occupied East Jerusalem.

NEWS: Egyptian troops are moving to restore order in Sinai, testing a key provision of the peace treaty with Israel: demilitarization of the peninsula. Human rights activists say Israeli forces are entering Egyptian territory in the Sinai Peninsula to intercept would-be African migrants. Hamas says Egypt temporarily lifted its closure of the Gaza crossing point, but only to let people back into Gaza. Residents of an Israeli settlement slated for court-ordered eviction are raising funds in an effort to buy the land from its Palestinian owners. Israel frees a hunger-striking Palestinian prisoner. Israeli occupation authorities in East Jerusalem ordered the demolition of 2 trailers provided to displaced Palestinians by the UN. Pres. Abbas forms a committee to study women's rights. Palestinians say they're going to raise their VAT in September. The PA Finance Minister says most public-sector employees will be paid next Monday. An Israeli military tribunal convicts a Palestinian man in the death of an Israeli soldier in 2000. Israel's largest newspaper says PM Netanyahu and DM Barak are mulling a fall strike against Iran. Palestinian refugees in Syria are fleeing to Lebanon. A report into alleged anti-Semitism on UC campuses draws controversy. COMMENTARY: ATFP Pres. Ziad J. Asali gives his take on Palestinian culture. Zahi Khouri challenges Mitt Romney's account of Palestinian circumstances. Ha'aretz says Israel should cooperate with Egypt in every way it can so as to restore order in Sinai. Hussein Shabokshi says Egypt has to change the way it deals with Sinai altogether. Ofer Shelah says following the Sinai attack, Israel must reprioritize its security concerns. Amir Oren says Israel should be extremely concerned about the consequences of an attack on Iran that is not coordinated with the United States. Brent Sasley says the Israeli left is growing more pragmatic. Kathleen Peratis calls plans for the forced eviction of Palestinian villagers in the occupied West Bank a "human rights calamity.”

NEWS: Israel and Iran are engaged in a shadowy war of covert operations. Residents in one of Israel's southernmost communities were not far from the attack on Egyptian forces in Sinai, as militant forces are gaining strength there and Egypt moves to suppress them. Egypt asks Hamas to hand over three Hamas militants suspected of involvement in the attack. Officials say Egyptian-Israeli security cooperation is at a high point following the attack. Palestinians say Swiss experts have been invited to examine the body of the late Pres. Arafat to look for signs of poisoning, but the lab says it will only do that if it is guaranteed its findings won't be used for "political purposes." Shots are fired at the office of PM Fayyad in Ramallah. Fayyad condemns Israeli plans to evict 12 Palestinian shepherd communities to make way for military fire zones. The EU says it expects Israel to cancel all demolition orders in "Area C." Hamas objects to the idea of holding Palestinian elections before national reconciliation. Washington is reportedly continuing to pressure Palestinians to delay any renewed effort at greater UN recognition until after the upcoming US presidential election. COMMENTARY: Louis Frankentaler says torture need not be an integral part of Israel's occupation. Khaled Diab says Arab and Israeli women face common challenges. Sari Bashi says occupation, not culture, is holding back the Palestinian economy. Adel Al Toraifi says it's vital for Egypt's national interests that the country move quickly to restore order in Sinai. George Hishmeh says Israel is rapidly losing international support, especially in Europe. Gerard Horton says Palestinian children in Israeli detention must be treated justly. Abdallah Iskandar says the attack on Egyptian forces in Sinai is helping Israel clamp down on Palestinians.

NEWS: Egyptian military officials say “elements from Gaza” were involved in the recent attack on their soldiers in Sinai. Smugglers say the renewed closure of Gaza has sent prices soaring there, as Egyptian officials say they're planning to reopen the crossing soon. Israel claims Hezbollah smuggled explosives into northern Israel. Palestinians are angered by FM Lieberman's comments highly critical of Pres. Abbas. Abbas asks donors to fulfill their pledges to the PA, and reiterates that Palestinians are going to resume efforts at the UN even if that conflicts with the interests of others. Israel evacuates and dismantles a tiny “unauthorized” settlement outpost. The JTA profiles gambling tycoon Sheldon Adelson. Palestinian homes in Israeli military “fire zones” in the occupied West Bank face demolition. COMMENTARY: The New York Times says Pres. Morsy must work with Israel to restore order in the Sinai Peninsula. Yaron Friedman says the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty needs to be revised to accomplish this. Khaled Abu Toameh says the Sinai attack is a disaster for Hamas. Osama Al Sharif says all parties -- Israel, Egypt and Hamas -- will have to play their part. The Daily Star says Gaza is paying dearly for the militarization of Sinai. Ruth Marcus says the social and political influence of the ultra-Orthodox is growing in Israel. Zvi Bar'el says Israel is about to take away one of the few remaining glimmers of hope for Palestinians living under occupation: Israel's court system, and Shaul Arieli says the proposals are part of a disturbing pattern. Yizhar Hess says Israel needs to address its own problems with religious freedom. Frank Jacobs tracks the history of mapping the "Holy Land." Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi says Fatah may be facing a Palestinian uprising against itself.

NEWS: The attack on Egyptian forces in the Sinai Peninsula tests Egypt's new government and its relations with Israel. The attack appears to lessen chances Hamas can get Egypt to change its Gaza crossing border policies, as Gaza is more or less closed to the outside world. Pres. Abbas expresses Palestinian solidarity with Egypt in the fight against terrorism. Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood posts an article on its website saying Israel may be responsible for the attack. Tribal leaders in the Peninsula say they warned Egyptian officials about extremist activity. PM Fayyad says Palestinians should hold parliamentary elections as soon as possible without waiting for a reconciliation between the PA and Hamas. Environmental concerns shadow Israel's offshore oil drilling. Tel Aviv's city council rejects the inclusion of Arabic in its logo. Water in Gaza is increasingly polluted and expensive. Palestinian refugees in Syria are seeking help from Lebanon. COMMENTARY: Hussein Ibish says Egypt's new president has little choice but to continue with traditional foreign policy approaches towards the Sinai Peninsula and Israel. Ofer Aderet recalls the hanging of 2 British soldiers by Jewish extremists in Palestine during the mandatory period. Edgar Bronfman says Pres. Obama has not talked about supporting Israel, but simply done it. The Jerusalem Post says it's time for Egypt and Israel to combat a common enemy, terrorism. Gershon Baskin says Israel must relieve itself of the shadow of apartheid present in the occupation. Peter Joseph and David Halperin say both Israel and the Palestinians need a two-state solution. Gilad Kariv says Israel must accommodate Arabic. Richard Cohen says there is an important cultural difference between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

NEWS: Israel bars diplomats from countries that do not have diplomatic relations with it from entering the occupied West Bank to meet with Palestinian officials. Armed militants attack Egyptian forces in the Sinai Peninsula, killing 15. Israel says the militants tried to cross into its territory and 8 of them were killed in the process. The Palestinian leadership condemns the attack, and Israel's ambassador to the US accuses Iran of being behind it. Israel upgrades its Arrow missile defense system. Palestinians are continuing to lay the groundwork for renewed efforts at greater UN recognition. Palestinians send a convoy of aid to Palestinian refugees in Syria. An Israeli airstrike kills a Palestinian militant and wounds another in Gaza. Registration begins in the West Bank for local elections scheduled later this year. New Israeli regulations may prevent undocumented migrants and Palestinians living under occupation from filing court cases. Palestinian villagers are erecting stone walls to prevent their lands from being seized by Israeli settlers. Casino tycoon Adelson is reportedly pressuring Mitt Romney to publicly back the release of convicted Israeli spy Pollard. COMMENTARY: Avraham Burg says Israel's democracy is threatened as it may be drifting towards becoming “another Middle Eastern theocracy.” Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff say Israel still faces major dangers from groups operating in the Sinai Peninsula. Gili Heskin says it makes no sense for Israel to consider formally recognizing “unauthorized” settlement outposts. Raleb Majadele says Israel should emulate American self-criticism. Eitan Haber says Israel and the Arab states face a common enemy in Muslim extremists. Jillian Kestler-D'Amours says the Palestinian economy in Ramallah and other cities is a bubble waiting to burst. Jonathan Schanzer tracks how Palestinian refugees in Syria are turning against the Assad regime. Eric Yoffie says Israel is losing the battle for public opinion in United States.