NEWS:

Pres. Abbas and PM Fayyad both come under intense pressure for Fayyad not to resign. (Reuters/Xinhua/Ha'aretz)

US officials say they do not believe Fayyad will be leaving office. (AFP)

Pres. Obama tells UNSG Ban he sees a "window of opportunity" to restart Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. (JTA)

Human Rights Watch condemns Hamas for killing accused collaborators with Israel. (AP/Reuters)

Israel offers to deport a long-standing Palestinian hunger striking prisoner, Samer Issawi, to a third country. (AP)

A 60-year-old Palestinian judge, Ahmad al-Zir, is beaten unconscious by settlers near Ramallah. (Ma'an)

The Israeli government is planning to cut state funding to an extremist settlement seminary over violence against Palestinians and Israeli troops. (AFP)

A Palestinian man is wounded by occupation forces in a confrontation near Hebron. (Xinhua)

Israel is trying a Palestinian-American child accused of stone-throwing in the occupied West Bank. (Reuters)

Israel will open the Kerem Shalom crossing for four hours today to allow food and gas into the Gaza Strip. (Ma'an)

The Israeli military says it believes that Hamas is significantly increasing its efforts to capture more Israeli soldiers. (YNet)

The UK is helping Palestinian businesses reach more international markets. (PNN)

Palestinians are bracing for another dry summer under Israeli occupation water policies. (Ha'aretz)

Israel is finding the situation along the border between Syria and the occupied Golan Heightsincreasingly alarming, and is beefing up its defenses. (Reuters/The National)

40,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria are now in Lebanon, and some are on hunger strike. (The Daily Star)

Bedouin tribesmen in Sinai briefly abduct a Hungarian member of the multinational observer force, and then release him. (AP)

Jordanian MPs call for the release of the perpetrator of the massacre of Israeli schoolgirls. (Jerusalem Post)

Tensions reportedly reemerge between the Israeli and American offices of the American Jewish Committee. (The Forward)

COMMENTARY:

Ben Caspit purports to tell the inside story of the recent conversations between Obama and PM Netanyahu. (Al Monitor)

Hazem Balousha says Qatar's sponsorship of Hamas is greatly hindering Palestinian reconciliation. (Al Monitor)

Nabeel Shaath says Palestinians are deeply upset by Canadian FM Baird's visit to occupied East Jerusalem. (Globe and Mail)

Ha'aretz says if the new Israeli government persists with its policies it will bear a heavy responsibility for any failure of new US peace initiatives. (Ha'aretz)

The Guardian says the biggest obstacles to peace are the power asymmetry, and the nature of the status quo, between Israel and the Palestinians. (The Guardian)

Yossi Sarid says those who condemn stone-throwing by Palestinian protesters are probably against any form of resistance to occupation. (Ha'aretz)

Lior Akerman questions the nature of the Israeli-Turkish rapprochement. (Jerusalem Post)

Hillel Halkin says Israel should not have apologized to Turkey. (The Forward)

Ibrahim Kalin asks what's next after Israel's apology in further mending relations with Turkey. (The Daily Star)

Randa Takieddine says Lebanon should not hesitate to follow Israel's lead in exploiting offshore natural gas deposits. (Al Hayat)

The Economist says racism in football in Israel is a huge problem, but some are trying to challenge it. (The Economist)

NEWS

Israeli officials reportedly reject Sec. Kerry's proposals for new talks, and say they will be making no gestures towards the Palestinians. (Ha'aretz/YNet)

PM Fayyad reportedly offers his resignation, but reports are contradictory on the matter. (Reuters/AP/Ha'aretz)

Israeli media report that Israeli security services recommended to PM Netanyahu he should release pre-Oslo Palestinian detainees. (Man'sn)

Reconfirmed Hamas leader Mishaal is seeking a wider role for himself and for the organization. (AP)

A new Palestinian poll suggests a major drop in support for both Hamas and rocket attacks against Israel. (YNet)

Israel keeps Gaza's only commercial crossing closed for a third straight day. (Xinhua)

The UN says Israel's policies are depleting Gaza's food stocks. (Ynet)

Human Rights Watch condemns Hamas for executing accused collaborators with Israel. (AP)

Egyptian forces detain four people allegedly trying to smuggle maps and arms into Gaza. (Ma'an)

Israeli and Palestinian businesspersons establish an arbitration system to manage disputes. (CSM)

Former Pres. Carter is honored at Yeshiva University despite some controversy. (New York Times)

Palestinians plan to build a national museum in Ramallah. (The Media Line/AP)

Canada's Foreign Minister breaks an international taboo by meeting Israeli officials in occupied East Jerusalem. (AFP)

Palestinian villagers complain to the UN that Canadian businesses are profiting from Israeli settlement projects. (Al Monitor)

Palestinian human rights groups call on Hamas to rescind their order enforcing gender segregation in all schools for children above the age of nine. (PNN)


COMMENTARY

Gershon Baskin says, in spite of what everyone claims, the parties know very well how to make peace if they want to. (Jerusalem Post)

Peter Joseph and David Halperin explain why they wrote a "peace letter" to Sec. Kerry. (Jerusalem Post)

Douglas Bloomfield says he doubts whether Turkey is interested in peace, and it's really up to the Israelis and Palestinians. (Jerusalem Post)

George Hishmeh says Arabs need to battle sectarianism from primary school onwards. (Gulf News)

Adnan Abu Amer claims reconfirmed Hamas politburo leader Mishaal wants to make the organization "more rational" but faces stiff resistance. (Al Monitor)

John Whitbeck says it might make sense for Palestine to join the ICC. (Arab News)

Shlomo Brom and Shimon Stein say Israel needs a two-state solution "in spite of herself." (Al Monitor)

NEWS:

Sec. Kerry is said to be "upbeat" after three days of Middle East diplomacy. (AP)

Kerry reportedly gets PM Netanyahu's agreement to focus on Palestinian economic improvements. (Ha'aretz/AP/Reuters)

Palestinian officials say US inducements offered thus far are insufficient for the resumption of negotiations. (Ha'aretz/AP)

Palestinian officials say Western countries are pressuring Israel to release some Palestinian prisoners as a prelude to resumed negotiations. (Xinhua)

PM Erdogan reportedly delays a planned trip to Gaza due to US requests. (Ha'aretz)

Israel's military denies there was any exchange of gunfire along the border with Gaza yesterday. (Xinhua)

Occupation forces detain 22 Palestinians in raids across the West Bank. (Ma'an)

Israel rearrests a Palestinian who went on a well-publicized hunger strike last year. (Ma'an)

Israel blocks a large shipment of supplies bound for Gaza. (PNN)

Tensions continue to flare between Hamas and UNRWA. (Al Monitor)

An Israeli court sentences a Jewish terrorist, who emigrated from the United States, to two life terms for murdering Palestinians and additional crimes. (New York Times)

Israeli authorities arrest and charge a Palestinian citizen of Israel accused of fighting with rebels in Syria. (AP)

Another Palestinian citizen of Israel is convicted of spying for Hezbollah. (AP)

Controversy erupts at Yeshiva University because of plans to honor former Pres. Carter, who has been critical of Israeli policies in the occupied Palestinian territories. (New York Times)

Hamas and Fatah are due to resume reconciliation talks in Cairo soon. (Xinhua)

Hamas says it is facing an acute financial crisis. (Xinhua)

A Gaza sailboat collector cannot use his vessels. (CSM)

A US diplomatic cable from 1975 blamed Israel for holding back peace due to its stubborn attitudes. (Jerusalem Post)

COMMENTARY:

Hussein Ibish says Hamas is acting more like the Palestinian fashion police than anything else. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

ATFP Pres. Asali looks of the challenges facing US public diplomacy in the Arab world. (Huffington Post)

UK Amb. to Israel Gould says the future lies in the Palestinian security services being trained in Jericho. (YNet)

Christa Case Bryant thinks Kerry has a real chance of securing Israeli-Palestinian peace (CSM)

Osama Al Sharif thinks Kerry faces an uphill battle. (Jordan Times)

Rami Khouri says Kerry needs to remember Deir Yassin. (The Daily Star)

Zvi Bar'el says the Israeli center needs to focus on the economic costs of occupation and the settlements. (Ha'aretz)

Adam Gonn argues Turkey's rapprochement with Israel isn't going very well. (Xinhua)

F. Stephen Larrabee agrees that Israeli-Turkish rapprochement will be slow because of the way tensions unfolded over a long period of time. (CSM)

The National says Palestinians can benefit from Israeli-Turkish rapprochement, especially if it means Turkish pressure on Israel. (The National)

Adnan Abu Amer says Turkey's rapprochement with Israel pushes it away from Hamas. (Al Monitor)

Sefi Rachlevsky profiles an extremist new Israeli MK, Ruth Calderon. (Ha'aretz)

Neri Zilber profiles "the most powerful woman in Israel": Sara Netanyahu. (Foreign Policy)

NEWS

Sec. Kerry meets with PM Fayyad and Pres. Peres, separately, while focusing on the Palestinian economy as a part of the peace process. (New York Times)

Fatah officials are reportedly still pressuring Pres. Abbas to replace Fayyad. (Xinhua)

A senior Fatah official claims the US is "softening its stance" against reconciliation with Hamas. (Jerusalem Post)

Kerry insists that Israeli-Palestinian peace is possible, and is looking for ways forward and concessions from the parties. (AP/AFP/Washington Post)

PM Netanyahu tells Kerry talks must focus on security and recognition. (Ha'aretz)

Sec. Hagel will visit Israel later this month. (Reuters)

Gunfire is exchanged across the Gaza-Israel border. (Xinhua)

Israeli occupation forces reportedly shoot and injure at least two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in separate incidents. (Ma'an)

An Israeli court sentences a Palestinian cartoonist to five months in jail and a fine for "contacting enemy entities." (Ma'an)

Two Moroccan MPs say Israel banned them from entering the occupied West Bank (AFP)

The UN is reopening food distribution centers in Gaza. (AP)

The ADL condemns "price-tag" attacks on mosques in the occupied West Bank. (Jerusalem Post)

Turkish flotilla incident survivors are suing Israel, as Turkey delays compensation talks. (Reuters/Xinhua)

A Hamas leader calls for capturing more Israeli soldiers. (Xinhua)

Abbas arrives in Doha for the latest Arab League meeting. (Ma'an)

A cyber attack on Israel doesn't seem to have lived up to its promised havoc. (CSM)

Confusion characterizes testimony in the trial of an Israeli soldier for allowing a Palestinian to die after being shot. (Ha'aretz)

Palestinian women face increased levels of cybercrime. (The Media Line)

COMMENTARY

Hussein Ibish says the fate of its Christian communities will define the future of the Arab world. (Now Media)

Aaron David Miller has some peace process advice for Kerry. (Foreign Policy)

Sabri Saidam says there are "countless reasons" for the international community to push Israel on Jerusalem. (The National)

David Newman says a two-state solution requires new ideas about the relationship between borders, independence and citizenship. (Jerusalem Post)

The Washington Post thinks Iran is listening to Israel's "red lines" and drawing down its nuclear program accordingly. (Washington Post)

Akiva Eldar says callousness on the part of Israel, Hamas and the PA combined to deny Palestinians adequate medical treatment in Israel. (Al Monitor)

Leonard Fein asks if Israel is losing the support of young American Democrats. (The Forward)

Ali El-Saleh says the reelection of Hamas politburo leader Mishaal is a victory for the group's "moderates." (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Osama Al Sharif says Mishaal has ambitions beyond Hamas, and is looking to head a restructured PLO. (Gulf News)

Omar Shaban describes how the Palestinian budget controversy was a cover for deep political rifts. (Al Monitor)

Dalia Hatuqa describes deep Palestinian skepticism towards Pres. Obama's words and intentions. (Foreign Policy)

NEWS:
Sec. Kerry is pushing to revive US peace efforts, and reportedly tells the parties to expect a new American proposal in the coming weeks. (Wall Street Journal/Ha'aretz)

Kerry is reportedly interested in reviving the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative. (AP)

Kerry reportedly offers Pres. Abbas inducements to return to negotiations, and meets with PM Fayyad. (Ma'an)

Abbas reportedly reiterates the Palestinian commitment to peace and pushes Kerry to get Israel to explain its vision of what a future Palestinian state would look like. (Xinhua)

Israeli officials say they have no intention of presenting any map of a future Palestinian state. (YNet)

Kerry is also trying to encourage faster and broader Israeli-Turkish rapprochement. (AP/Reuters)

Turkey is reportedly demanding an end to the Gaza blockade as a condition for complete restoration of ties with Israel. (The National)

Israel claims to have repelled a series of major attacks by pro-Palestinian hackers on its cyber presence. (New York Times)

An Israeli court orders settlers to return a parcel of land to its Palestinian owners. ((Xinhua)

Palestinians say settlers vandalize West Bank mosques with anti-Arab graffiti. (Xinhua)

Israel closes the major crossing with Gaza after rockets are fired at southern Israel, without causing any damage or injuries. (AP)

Two more Palestinians are killed in shelling in Syria, bringing the total to 1,206 Palestinians killed in that country's war. (Ma'an)

Hamas authorities are shaving the heads of young men with long or spiky hair in Gaza, and has banned "Western garments." (AP/Xinhua/PCHR)

Palestinian families are left homeless after Hamas destroys homes in Gaza it claims were "illegally constructed." (Al Monitor)

Hamas police dispel a demonstration by Salafist mothers in Gaza. (Ma'an)

Palestinian officials say 160,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are living below the poverty line. (Ma'an)

Fatah officials are reportedly pressuring Abbas to replace Fayyad. (Ma'an)

The Teachers' Union of Ireland adopts a resolution backing an academic and cultural boycott of Israel. (JTA)


COMMENTARY:
Hussein Ibish says regional influences are having and increasing effect on internal Palestinian politics, especially within Hamas. (The National)

Zvi Bar'el says Egypt's political and military leaderships are divided over how to deal with Hamas. (Ha'aretz)

Hagai Segal says Kerry was wasting his time trying to broker Israeli-Palestinian peace. (YNet)

Ben Caspit says the best Kerry can hope for is a partial, interim agreement. (Al Monitor)

Amira Hass says the film "Five Broken Cameras" is changing Palestinian attitudes towards nonviolence. (Ha'aretz)

Tomer Persico says Israeli scholar Gideon Aran long anticipated the aims and trajectory of the extreme settler movement. (Ha'aretz)

The Jerusalem Post interviews Palestinian-Israeli MK Jamal Zahalka, who questions the future of Zionism. (Jerusalem Post)

Adel Safty says the essence of Zionism is the expropriation of Palestinian land. (Gulf News)

The Jerusalem Post criticizes Abbas for stifling freedom of speech. (The Jerusalem Post)

Ana Palacio says Pres. Obama played it safe in Israel because he doesn't think conditions are ripe for a two-state solution. (Gulf News)

Mike Coogan argues that AIPAC's latest legislative agenda is dividing members of Congress. (The Hill)

Hicham Mourad says Egypt should pursue a balanced policy between the PA and Hamas. (Al Ahram)

Gershon Baskin says the best way for Israel to reduce Hamas' stature and effectiveness is to make peace with the PLO. (Jerusalem Post)

NEWS
Tensions continue to mount in the occupied West Bank as Palestinians bury three who recently died, with Israel blamed. (New York Times)

Thousands of Palestinians continue to protest over the deaths. (AP/Reuters)

Protests are particularly intense in Hebron. (Ma'an)

In spite of the tensions, all parties seem to have a stake in preventing a total breakdown of order. (CSM)

PM Fayyad denounces the use of live fire against protesters by Israeli occupation forces. (PNN)

An Israeli military investigation shows no shots were fired at occupation forces during the deadly incidents. (Ha'aretz)

Pres. Abbas blames Israel for the escalation in tensions and says they endanger US peace efforts. (AFP)

Abbas reiterates he will not pursue any further moves at multilateral institutions in order to give US peace efforts a greater chance. (The National)

Abbas reportedly tells Sec. Kerry PM Netanyahu must present a map delineating his vision of borders to prove he is serious about peace. (Ha'aretz)

Israelis debate whether Palestinians have any right to engage in rock-throwing protests against the occupation. (AP)

The UN is closing food distribution centers in Gaza after a mob storms one of its compounds to process the suspension of cash assistance to thousands of families. (AP)

A British researcher says the Israeli-Palestinian Joint Water Committee reflects another example of Israel's ability to coerce the Palestinians. (Ha'aretz)

Hamas again denies meddling in Egypt's internal affairs. (AP)

The Times reports that Hamas fighters are training Syrian rebels. (Jerusalem Post)

Israel holds Hamas responsible for restraining even more extreme groups in Gaza. (Xinhua)

UC Riverside's student government revokes a resolution urging university divestment in companies doing business with Israel's military. (LA Times)

A French court fines Air France €13,000 for removing a pro-Palestinian passenger from a flight to Israel because she was not Jewish. (BBC)


COMMENTARY
ATFP Pres. Ziad Asali says America's greatest challenge in the Middle East is an intensified program of public diplomacy. (Baltimore Sun)

Hussein Ibish outlines the challenges facing Kerry in trying to revamp Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

Maysoon Zayid denounces Hamas' oppression of women. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

Hassan Haidar says Hamas' own extremism is fostering even greater extremism by other groups in Gaza. (Al Hayat)

Amos Harel says the incoming Israeli military commander in the occupied West Bank will mainly be preoccupied with preventing another intifada. (Ha'aretz)

Cellu Rozenberg says Amira Hass' defense of stone-throwing Palestinian protests is illogical and immoral. (Ha'aretz)

Michael Palmer says the FBI should investigate deaths of American-citizen Israeli settlers because of rock-throwing by Palestinian protesters in the occupied territories. (The Forward)

The Jerusalem Post claims it wants peace as much as Jewish Americans who called for confidence building measures, but doesn't believe it's possible and says their proposals are not worth "the risk." (The Jerusalem Post)

Uri Savir says Israelis must learn to distinguish between international support for Israel's existence and opposition to many of its policies. (Jerusalem Post)

The National says Abbas' agreement to suspend efforts to join other multilateral institutions opens a window for progress on peace. (The National)

Marwan Kabalan says mutual concerns about Syria motivated the Israeli-Turkish rapprochement. (Gulf News)

Shlomi Eldar interviews Hamas' activist Ghazi Hamad who insists the organization will accept a state in the 1967 borders, but will not recognize Israel. (Al Monitor)

Gamal Abuel Hassan says the Israeli-Egyptian security relationship is essentially the same under Pres. Morsi as it was under Mubarak. (Al Monitor)

Zvi Bar'el agrees that Morsi is finding it almost impossible to really change Egypt's policy towards Hamas. (Ha'aretz)

NEWS
Israeli occupation forces shoot and kill a Palestinian teenager during violent clashes in the occupied West Bank.  (Xinhua/AP/Washington Post)

A second Palestinian youth is killed by Israeli forces in another confrontation. (Ma'an)

An 80-year-old Palestinian shepherd is beaten unconscious near an Israel settlement. (Ha'aretz)

Many analysts think Israel's new airstrikes in Gaza are a warning to Hamas, and none of the sides want a major escalation. (Xinhua)

Hamas confirms that Gaza-based politician Ismail Hanniyeh will serve as the deputy leader of its Politburo. (AP/Xinhua)

Another vocal Gaza-based Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar is reportedly removed from the Politburo altogether. (Al Monitor)

Sec. Kerry heads back to the region for more shuttle diplomacy aimed at restarting negotiations. (USA Today/AP)

Palestinians say they will suspend all moves at the UN and other multilateral agencies to give US diplomacy a chance. (Ha'aretz)

Pres. Abbas reiterates that freeing prisoners is a top Palestinian priority. (AFP)

Israeli security documents show a Palestinian prisoner suffered serious injuries from torture 18 months ago. (Ha'aretz)

Fellow students at Oxford University are helping to pay the scholarship for a Palestinian student from Gaza. (BBC)

Israeli settlers accuse Ha'aretz commentator Amira Hass of incitement to violence for defending Palestinian rock-throwing protesters. (Times of Israel)

Leading Jewish Americans urge PM Netanyahu to make compromises for peace. (Ha'aretz)

Palestinians visit Israel's Holocaust museum in Jerusalem. (YNet)


COMMENTARY
Gideon Levy says that Israeli doctors who serve in the occupation and prison systems are betraying their profession by countenancing neglect, abuse and torture. (Ha'aretz)

Jonathan Rosen says it's completely understandable why so few Israelis are in the least sympathetic to Hamas. (Jerusalem Post)

George Hishmeh says Mishaal has shown a level of pragmatism that the US and Israel should explore. (Gulf News)

Ernest Corea says Palestinians need to see deeds, not hear words, to revive hopes for peace. (Arab News)

Asmaa al-Ghoul looks at the struggle of Palestinian poets in Gaza under Hamas rule. (Al Monitor)

Gil Troy adds his take on how to reconcile Israel's "Jewish" and "democratic" characters. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

Charles Kupchan and Soli Ozel say Israeli-Turkish rapprochement won't mean much if it isn't followed by demonstrable increased cooperation. (New York Times)

NEWS:
Tensions flare and fire is exchanged across the Israel-Gaza border following the death of a prisoner in Israeli custody from allegedly undertreated cancer. (New York Times)

Israel warns Gaza militants about the dangers of any escalation. (AP)

Hamas says it expects more attacks from Israel. (Xinhua)

Ma'an publishes an obituary of the late prisoner, Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh. (Ma'an)

Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza observe a one-day general strike in protest at his death. (AFP)

Pres. Abbas blames Abu Hamdiyeh's death on "Israeli arrogance." (PNN)

PM Fayyad calls for international monitoring of Israel's prisons. (PNN)

A Palestinian minister says the prisoner's death shows the PLO must join the ICC. (Ma'an)

Israeli occupation forces detain 20 Palestinians in the West Bank. (Ma'an)

The Israeli military again says it fired back against ordinance coming across the frontier between Syria and the occupied Golan Heights. (New York Times)

Abbas will meet Sec. Kerry in Jordan on Sunday. (Ma'an)

Kerry is also due to visit Turkey. (Reuters)

Experts say the Palestinian-Jordanian agreement on Jerusalem gives Amman a much larger role in the future of the city and negotiations with Israel. (AFP)

Jewish Israelis and Palestinians discuss the quest for freedom at a Passover Seder in the occupied West Bank. (CSM)

The Israeli military is providing equal protection for all settlements, whether authorized or wildcat outposts. (Ha'aretz)

Some Fatah officials accuse disgraced former Fatah leader in Gaza Dahlan of poisoning the late Pres. Arafat. (AP)

Hamas is continuing a widespread crackdown on art and artists in Gaza. (Al Monitor)


COMMENTARY:
Ha'aretz says it's outrageous that the Israeli military is providing so many benefits to unauthorized wildcat settlement outposts. (Ha'aretz

Amos Harel says the PA is using the prisoner's death to keep up a popular struggle against Israeli occupation. (Ha'aretz)

Lynn Grassmeyer says another generation of Israelis and Palestinians are reaching a crisis point. (The Tennessean)

Shmuel Rosner says it will be even more difficult for Israel to delineate operating borders with Palestine than a settlement freeze. (New York Times)

Khaled Abu Toameh says, given that Islamists and others are raping women in the name of religion in Libya and elsewhere, women ought to think twice about going on aid convoys to Gaza. (Gatestone)

Amira Hass defends rock-throwing against Israeli occupation forces by Palestinian youths. (Ha'aretz)

Judy Montagu says Israel's apology to Turkey might feel like "giving in," but it's breathed new life into an important relationship. (Jerusalem Post)

The National says the reelection of Mishaal as Hamas leader provides an opportunity for Abbas and the Arab states. (The National)

Adel Zaanoun says Mishaal might even be able to improve Hamas' relations with the West. (Arab News)

Shlomi Eldar says it was Israel's military offensive in Gaza last year that resurrected Mishaal's waning career. (Al Monitor)

Hazem Saghieh says Israel has concluded that sectarian and ethnic cantons are being formed in Syria. (Al Hayat)

The Daily Star laments that while Israel is starting to effectively exploit offshore natural gas reserves, Lebanon is dithering. (The Daily Star)

Emily Hauser profiles a short documentary about the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem that recently won a Peabody award. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

Aaron David Miller says, if he's really lucky, Pres. Obama might be able to leave the Middle East slightly better off than when he first came into office. (Foreign Policy)

Carlo Strenger looks at a new book by Rashid Khalidi, which takes a dim view of the US role as Middle East peace broker. (Ha'aretz)

Natasha Gill says Israelis and Palestinians can continue to greatly dislike each other and still achieve a mutually beneficial peace agreement. (The Forward)

Henry Siegman asks if Kerry can rescue the two-state solution. (Huffington Post)

NEWS

PM Fayyad is hospitalized with a stomach ailment. (Foreign Policy/AP)

Hamas leaks the fact that it has reelected Khaled Mishaal as head of its Politburo. (AP)

Hamas imposes a new law enforcing rigid gender segregation in schools and prohibiting any interaction with Israelis. (New York Times/Xinhua)

Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention protest following the death of one of their colleagues due to cancer, allegedly due to insufficient care. (AP)

Pres. Abbas says there is no need for a minisummit on reconciliation with Hamas in Cairo. (Xinhua)

Israel's Navy prepares to defend offshore natural gas deposits it is exploiting. (Reuters)

A Palestinian researcher says Israel has arrested over 1000 Palestinians, and over 200 children, since the beginning of the year. (PNN)

Israeli police arrest five settlers in connection with the near-fatal shooting of a Palestinian a few weeks ago. (+972)

A new poll suggests most Palestinians still support a two-state solution and that Jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti is their most popular politician. (Jerusalem Post)

Millions allegedly embezzled from the PA by former official Muhammad Rashid may have ended up in Canada. (Globe and Mail)

Cancer rates are increasing in Gaza. (Al Monitor)

The Israel Project is being transformed by its new leadership. (The Forward)

COMMENTARY

Hussein Ibish says by reconfirming Mishaal as its leader, Hamas is once again avoiding change. (Now)

Amira Hass explains that Israeli restrictions on Palestinian movement in the occupied territories long preceded the emergence of suicide bombings. (Ha'aretz)

Chaim Levinson asks what the settlers learned from the first intifada 25 years ago. (Ha'aretz)

The National says Abbas must end his campaign against his critics. (The National)

Shaul Rosenfeld says Pres. Obama doesn't understand the risks Israel has taken for peace. (YNet)

Zalman Shoval says the argument that "peace is the best security" isn't very convincing to many Israelis. (Jerusalem Post)

J.J. Goldberg says Israel's new government has no clear position on a two-state solution and is badly divided. (The Forward)

Writer William Sutcliffe says the Israeli occupation was "so much more brutal than I thought it could be." (The Guardian)

Alan Eisner says AIPAC's new strategy of reaching out to liberals is bound to fail. (The Forward)

Ali Ibrahim looks at the many different roles played by smuggling tunnels on the Gaza-Egypt border. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Ahmed Othman says the United States and Israel now have a simple choice: allow Iran to go nuclear or take military action to prevent that. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

APN interviews Yossi Alpher on the latest developments regarding Israel. (APN)

NEWS:

Pres. Abbas approves the new PA budget as submitted by PM Fayyad. (Xinhua)

Abbas and Jordan's King Abdallah agree to cooperate to protect Arab and Islamic sites inoccupied Jerusalem. (Xinhua/Ma'an)

Hamas leader Haniyyeh meets with the chief of Egypt's intelligence services. (AP)

Hamas accuses Fatah of blocking reconciliation talks. (Xinhua)

Settlers attack Palestinian school buses. (Ma'an)

Israeli occupation forces clash with Palestinians during "Land Day" commemorations. (AP)

Palestinians say seven children are injured when settlers stoned school buses in the occupied West Bank. (Ma'an)

Abbas is accused of clamping down on critics in civil society. (AP)

Israel begins to exploit offshore natural gas reserves. (New York Times)

The Israeli military says it could withstand an attack from Syrian chemical weapons. (Reuters)

Christians in the Middle East and Palestine celebrate Easter weekend. (AP)

Hamas officials say Pres. Obama's visit to the region was counterproductive for Palestinian reconciliation. (Xinhua)

Israel's military is dealing with complications arising from having women and ultra-Orthodox male service members. (LA Times)

Palestinian Americans continue to face grave difficulties under the Israeli occupation. (The National)

A short documentary by Just Vision Media about the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in occupied East Jerusalem wins a Peabody award. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

COMMENTARY:
Suzanne Nossel asks why it took so long for Israel to apologize to Turkey over the flotilla affair. (Foreign Policy)

Gideon Levy says Israeli cruelty reached the point of no return in the 2008-2009 Gaza war. (Ha'aretz)

Amira Hass says the new PA budget shows its dependence on Israel and the United States. (Ha'aretz)

Shoula Romano Horing says Obama still can't be trusted by Israelis. (YNet)

Ha'aretz says the Israeli military should stop arresting Palestinian children. (Ha'aretz

Asharq Al-Awsat says Abbas refuses to take part in any Arab League summit which Hamas also attends. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Joseph Dana says natural gas is the key to Israeli-Turkish reconciliation. (The National)

Abdullah Al Shayji says Obama has achieved nothing with regard to Iraq and Syria or the two-state solution. (Gulf News)

Shlomi Eldar interviews Yara Mashour, editor of the Israeli Arabic-language magazine Lilac. (Al Monitor)