Pres. Obama includes achieving Israeli-Palestinian peace as a core element of US counterterrorism strategy. (JTA)

 

Sec. Kerry meets separately with Israeli and Palestinian officials. (New York Times)

 

Kerry is focused on peace talks, not settlements. (AP)

 

Kerry insists peace is possible. (Washington Post)

 

Kerry's persistence is defying skeptics. (Christian Science Monitor)

 

Analysts don't expect much from Kerry's trip, while officials react with praise and reservationsand don't seem to expect much. (Xinhua/Los Angeles Times/CNN)

 

Palestinians are vocally pessimistic about Kerry's efforts. (The National)

 

Gen. John Allen is appointed US security envoy in the peace process. (Ha'aretz)

 

FM Hague says Israel is losing support in Britain because of settlements, and that prospects for a two-state solution are slipping away. (YNet/The Guardian)

 

Kerry makes an unscheduled stop at a shawarma shop in West Bank. (The Guardian)

 

A new report shows the EU is not meeting its own standards for ensuring Israel improves Palestinian living conditions. (The Australian)

 

Former PM Olmert describes what he says were his peace proposals to the Palestinians. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Olmert criticizes Pres. Abbas for not accepting his peace offer. (Times of Israel)

 

Olmert also says Israel's West Bank policies are responsible for its bad international press. (Jerusalem Post) 

 

Settlers demand Israeli occupation forces make more use of live fire against Palestinian demonstrators. (Ha'aretz)

 

Islamic Jihad complains Hamas and Fatah are not ready for national reconciliation. (Ma'an)

 

Companies operating in an Israeli settlement challenge a fee imposed on them for employing Palestinians. (Ha'aretz)

 

 

 

Joel Braunold, ATFP Executive Director Ghaith al-Omari and Danielle Spiegel Feld say Kerry's main task is overcoming skepticism. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

 

The Daily Star says Palestinians a right to be skeptical about Kerry's Middle East peace initiative. (The Daily Star)

 

Anshel Pfeffer says Israel is going to lose the second battle over Mohammed al-Dura, just like the first. (Ha'aretz)

 

Shlomi Eldar says the two-state idea is "bankrupt" but he has no idea what will replace it. (Al Monitor)

 

Shaul Magid looks at a new book on the history of US peace engagement by Rashid Khalidi. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

 

Yaakov Katz says what Israel really wants in Syria is a clear ruler of a united, stable country. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

 

Gideon Levy and Alex Levac describe how Israeli settlers are re-colonizing an evacuated West Bank settlement. (Ha'aretz)

 

Amira Hass says the Independent Commission for Human Rights plays a vital role in uniting the West Bank and Gaza by monitoring human rights in both areas. (Ha'aretz)

 

Senior Palestinian officials praise Sec. Kerry's peace efforts and express guarded optimismabout the resumption of talks with Israel.(Reuters/New York Times)

 

Other Palestinian officials reportedly express skepticism, and say they are preparing "day after" plans. (AP)

 

PM Netanyahu tells Kerry Israel sees restarting negotiations with the Palestinians as a paramount imperative. (Ha'aretz)

 

Kerry praises Netanyahu's "seriousness" about peace negotiations, after separate talks with both sides today. (JTA/The Forward)

 

Comments from the US and Israel raise hopes about the revival of peace talks. (AP)

 

Jordan says it is hopeful that talks can be resumed. (Jerusalem Post)

 

According to a new poll, Kerry's efforts face skepticism in public opinion on both sides, especially among Palestinians. (Pew)

 

American sources say Kerry phoned Netanyahu, not Amb. Oren, to object to Israel's recently announced settlement expansion. (Ha'aretz)

 

Amnesty International finds that Israel and Hamas both committed war crimes in their violent encounter late last year. (Ma'an)

 

An Israeli court rejects a lawsuit against Israeli soldiers who killed a Palestinian protester in 2009. (Jerusalem Post)

 

After 10 years of construction, Israel's West Bank separation barrier is almost complete. (NPR)

 

Palestine asks the UN Security Council to end "provocations" by Israel in occupied East Jerusalem. (Xinhua)

 

The UN says the conflict in Syria has displaced most Palestinian refugees in that country. (AFP)

 

Israel's Air Force chief warns about the possibility of conflict with Syria. (AP)

 

Israelis feel their country is being increasingly drawn into the Syrian conflict. (New York Times)

 

Thousands of Palestinians flock to return to the Gaza Strip after the crossing with Egypt is finally reopened. (Xinhua)

 

A Hamas court sentences one man to death and another to life imprisonment with hard labor for collaborating with Israel. (AFP)

 

A Jewish-Arab chorus in Jerusalem is fostering coexistence. (Christian Science Monitor)

 

US-Israeli and Palestinian companies are increasingly cooperating in high tech. (Al Monitor)

 

AP profiles the new Palestinian film "Omar." (AP)

 

 

 

Muhammad al-Durrah's father, Jamal, recounts the death of his 12-year-old son at the beginning of the second intifada. (Al Monitor)

 

Barak Ravid says both Israel and the Palestinians are working hard not to be blamed if Kerry's peace initiative fails. (Ha'aretz)

 

Chemi Shalev says cynics might be skeptical, but he strongly supports Kerry's efforts. (Ha'aretz)

 

George Hishmeh says Kerry needs to come up with a peace plan of his own. (Gulf News)

 

Gershon Baskin says negotiations need to be carried out by leaders, not in public. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Sigal Samuel looks at contradictory statements from Israeli cabinet ministers on policy towards a two-state solution. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

 

Ahmed Charai says the Arab Peace Initiative is stuck in rivalry between Qatar and Saudi Arabia. (The National Interest)

 

Dalia Hatuqa says neither Hamas nor Fatah are ready for national unity. (The National)

 

Abeer Ayyoub says Israel's extension of Gaza fishing to six nautical miles off the coast is not enough. (Al Monitor)

 

Uri Misgav says Israel should embrace conscientious objectors who won't serve in the occupied territories as it did Gilad Shalit. (Ha'aretz)

 

Israel's Supreme Court orders the AG to explain the seizure of Palestinian land in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ha'aretz)

 

The case is the first significant test of Israel's Absentee Property Law in a long time. (BBC)

 

Israel's AG complains that planning and construction laws in the occupied territories are not enforced against settlers. (YNet)

 

An Israeli soldier who will not serve in the occupied Palestinian territories is jailed for six months. (AP)

 

Israel is considering a crackdown on West Bank protests. (Ma'an)

 

Palestinians say Israeli occupation forces shot and wounded a 12-year-old boy during a West Bank protest. (AFP)

 

Israel demolishes four Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ma'an)

 

A Palestinian NGO reports that abuses by authorities are on the rise, and last year two Palestinians died in PA custody and nine in Hamas detention. (AP/Jerusalem Post)

 

Kidnapped Egyptian soldiers are released in Sinai, as one militant is killed and three are arrested. (Xinhua)

 

Egypt's military response in Sinai was coordinated with Israel, and deepened tensions with Hamas. (The Tower)

 

With the Sinai crisis resolved, Egypt reopens the Gaza border crossing. (Ma'an)

 

Hamas says it is willing to shut down all Gaza smuggling tunnels if a commercial crossing is opened. (Ma'an)

 

 

Hamas is tightening travel restrictions in Gaza. (Al Monitor)

 

Women in Gaza are struggling to find an economic role amid high unemployment. (Al Monitor)

 

West Bank businesses are struggling to grow amid economic uncertainty. (WGBH)

 

Israeli forces arrest three PA security officers in connection with the death of a settler in 2011. (Ma'an)

 

Israel's chief negotiator Livni says the impasse with the Palestinians is bad for Israel. (AP)

 

Israel warns Syria about attacks on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and Syria says it has aright to retaliate against Israel. (AP/Xinhua)

 

Reuters looks at the new Palestinian film, "Omar." (Reuters)

 

A Palestinian flag is raised over City Hall in Paterson New Jersey, in probably an American first, celebrating Palestinian-American Day in the city. (JTA)

 

 

 

Rachel Shabi says the new report on the Muhammad al-Dura affair shows Israel is obsessed with propaganda and spin. (The Guardian)

 

Ben Caspit says Israel was right to publish its new report on the Muhammad al-Dura affair. (Al Monitor)

 

Uzi Baram says Israel is facing a leadership crisis on many questions, including the Palestinians. (Ha'aretz)

 

Dani Dayan says Israel shouldn't agree to any land swaps with the Palestinians. (Ha'aretz)

 

Brent Sasley says Israel was right to apologize to Turkey. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

 

Semih Idiz says PM Erdogan doesn't seem to know how to handle the question of Gaza. (Al Monitor)

 

Arnaud de Borchgrave says, under current conditions, Israel is not going to agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state. (UPI)

 

Sec. Kerry phones Israeli Amb. Oren to object to Israeli plans to "legalize" four "unauthorized" West Bank settlement outposts. (Ha'aretz)

 

Kerry is returning to the region for more peace efforts this week. (The Guardian)

 

Palestinian officials say they have done everything they can to cooperate with US peace efforts, including delaying possible moves in multilateral organizations, and say there is "a good opportunity" at hand. (AP)

 

The Emir of Qatar says the "Arab Spring" has made Israeli-Palestinian peace were urgently needed than ever. (YNet)

 

The Yesh Atid leader, Finance Minister Lapid, says he favors an immediate return to negotiations with Palestinians despite recent comments to the New York Times that provoked a backlash within his own party. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Egypt launches a rescue effort for officers kidnapped by extremists in the Sinai Peninsula. (New York Times)

 

Egyptian soldiers protesting the kidnappings maintain the closure of the Gaza crossing pointfor a fourth day. (Xinhua/Los Angeles Times)

 

Israelis and Palestinians continue to quarrel over what exactly happened to 12-year-old Mohammed al-Dura at the start of the second intifada. (AP)

 

The boy's father denounces a new Israeli government report claiming he was never kill that all, insisting his son was "killed in cold blood." (Xinhua/Israeli International Affairs and Strategy Ministry/Ma'an)

 

Strategic Affairs Minister Steinitz defends the report. (Jerusalem Post)

 

An Israeli court postpones a decision on the eviction of 10 Palestinians from a hotly contested neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ma'an)

 

Israeli forces say they fired back across the frontier separating Syria and the occupied Golan Heights when they were attacked across cease-fire lines. (Reuters)

 

Two are killed in a suspected clash between feuding clans in Gaza. (Ma'an)

 

The EU denies it is delaying proposed plans to label all Israeli settlement products. (Ma'an)

 

The Zionist Organization of America regains its tax-exempt status. (JTA)

 

The Gaza hip-hop group Palestinian Unit persists in spite of a ban against it by Hamas on the grounds they "too Western." (Al Monitor)

 

A veteran psychologist and Palestinian refugee in Lebanon is counseling newly-arrived Syrianrefugees. (Daily Star)

 

 

 

Tal Harris asks which, if any, Israeli decision-makers are capable of responding seriously to the Arab Peace Initiative. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

 

Ha'aretz calls the new Israeli government report on Mohammed al-Dura "harmful propaganda." (Ha'aretz)

 

Herb Keinon says it's not clear whose interests are being served by resurrecting the controversy. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Shlomi Eldar also wonders what, 13 years after the fact, the report's authors could hope to be achieving. (Al Monitor)

 

Michael Wilner says Israel is concerned about a new State Department report finding discrimination against non-Jews and non-Orthodox Jews in Israel. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Amos Harel says Israel should save its resources for dealing with Iran, not Syria. (Ha'aretz)

 

Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi looks at the growth in Gaza of Salafist extremists opposed to Hamas. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Adel Safty says Israelis must begin to understand the injustice faced by Palestinian refugees. (Gulf News)

 

Samar El Yassir says Palestinian refugees in Syria are particularly vulnerable. (Al Monitor)

 

A.B. Yehoshua says it's time to redefine Zionism realistically for the contemporary era. (Ha'aretz)

 

AFP and Variety look at the new Palestinian film "Omar." (AFP/Variety)

 

Egyptian security forces may be preparing to mount a rescue operation for seven kidnapped officers in Sinai. (Ma'an)

 

Protesting Egyptian security forces keep the Gaza crossing closed for a third day. (Xinhua)

 

PM Netanyahu again pledges to prevent any transfer of arms from Syria to Hezbollah, anddenies Israel prefers Pres. Assad to the rebels. (Xinhua/Ha'aretz)

 

Gunfire from the Syrian conflict again lands in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. (AP)

 

Mohammed al-Dura's father calls for an international probe into whether Israeli forces killed his son at the start of the second intifada, and says he's willing to exhume his son's body. (Ha'aretz/Jerusalem Post)

 

Finance Minister Lapid, whose political star appears to be dimming slightly, says Israel should pursue an interim agreement with the Palestinians. (New York Times/AP)

 

Israel says it will return the land of a small evacuated settlement to its original Palestinian owners. (Xinhua)

 

An Israeli court issues an injunction against extending the West Bank separation barrier through a village noted for its ancient terraces. (Christian Science Monitor)

 

Israel cancels a UNESCO fact-finding mission to Jerusalem, saying Palestinians "politicized" the initiative. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Gaza fishermen are struggling to maintain their livelihood as Israel restricts their areas of activity. (Christian Science Monitor)

 

Gaza smuggling tunnels are frequently staffed by children. (Al Monitor)

 

The LA Times looks at the plight of Palestinians in "Area C." (Los Angeles Times)

 

The Jordanian government squashes an initiative in Parliament to expel the Israeli ambassador. (The Media Line)

 

Palestinians recall the destruction of an East Jerusalem neighborhood by conquering Israeli forces in 1967 in the immediate aftermath of the war. (The Forward)

 

Palestinians are suing Israel for the return of 6,000 books seized in aftermath of the 1948 war. (The National)

 

 

 

Barak Ravid says a new Israeli report on the Mohammed al-Dura affair, which claims the boy was never killed at all, is almost surreally misguided. (Ha'aretz)

 

Rami Khouri looks at the gap between Arab public opinion and government policies. (Daily Star)

 

Shmuel Rosner looks at the campaigns for Israel's chief rabbi positions. (New York Times)

 

Amira Hass looks at a new one-state document, which does not mention Jews or Israelis, released in the occupied West Bank. (Ha'aretz)

 

Omar Barghouti says boycotts could be an effective form of pressure against Israel. (The National)

 

Tamara Cohen says Israel must protect its Bedouin citizens. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Shlomi Eldar says Israel's changing assumptions on Syria may indicate its assumptions were faulty from the outset. (Al Monitor)

 

Barry Rubin says Israel should still consider Iran its greatest regional threat. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Leonard Fein says both Israelis and Palestinians failed to recognize each other's legitimate narratives. (The Forward)

 

Ithamar Handelman-Smith asks, if Israeli law protects the right of settlers to defend themselves with arms, might that law not apply to Palestinians as well? (Ha'aretz)

 

J. Dana Stuster asks if the Arab World is still moved by Nakba Day. (Foreign Policy)

 

Ha'aretz says the Israeli government needs to stop trying to rewrite the history of the Nakba. (Ha'aretz)

 

Egyptian police close the Gaza border to protest the kidnapping of four of their colleagues. (AP)/

 

The UN Security Council denounces the brief abduction of three peacekeepers in the no man's land separating Israeli and Syrian forces. (Xinhua)

 

CIA chief John Brennan visits Israel. (AP)

 

UNESCO says it will send a fact-finding mission to Jerusalem to look at Israel's policies. (Ma'an)

 

Pres. Abbas meets with Pres. Morsi in Cairo. (Xinhua)

 

PM Erdogan will visit the West Bank and Gaza in June. (Xinhua)

 

An Egyptian Coptic cleric says he will sue the Israeli police over alleged abuse during Easter ceremonies. (AP) 

 

Shin Bet joins an educational program aimed at convincing young right-wing Jewish radicals to reform. (Xinhua)

 

The PA takes some radio stations off the air after they don't pay their licensing fees. (Ma'an)

 

Some Fatah officials issue statement calling for a one-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. (Ha'aretz)

 

Palestinian journalist and author Nasser al-Din al-Nashashibi passes away in Jerusalem. (Ma'an)

 

 

 

Barak Ravid says Sec. Kerry's diplomatic efforts look "naive and ham-handed." (Ha'aretz)

 

Marwan Muasher says he doubts Kerry's well-intentioned efforts to revive the Arab Peace Initiative will succeed. (Foreign Policy)

 

Jason Alexander explains why the quest for Middle East peace is important to him. (YNet)

 

Ahmad Majdoubeh says a Palestinian state is inevitable. (Jordan Times)

 

The National says Palestinian unity talks must start to yield results. (The National)

 

Shay Hazkani says most Israeli state files about the Palestinian exodus in 1948 remain sealed, but enough material exists to show in many cases they were forcibly expelled. (Ha'aretz)

 

Shlomi Eldar says that for settlers, Israeli law is just a recommendation. (Al Monitor)

 

Nathan Guttman says supporters of Israel question the long-term impact of Stephen Hawking's boycott of an Israeli government conference. (The Forward)

 

Ahmad Azem looks at the nature and extent of Hamas-Qatari ties. (Al Monitor)

 

The New York Times looks at "State 194," the new film about PM Fayyad's institution-building program. (New York Times)

 

The LA Times says "State 194" is "a smart look" at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Los Angeles Times)

 

Palestinians protest on the 65th anniversary of the Nakba. (AP)

 

On the anniversary of the Nakba, some Palestinians reiterate the importance of the right of return. (Xinhua)

 

Critics decry Israel's silence on the Arab Peace Initiative. (AP)

 

The ICC lead prosecutor says she has received a complaint about Israel's 2010 flotilla raid and will investigate. (AP)

 

Palestinian journalists say they were assaulted by Israeli occupation forces near Bethlehem. (Ma'an)

 

Israel says mortar shells from Syria have again landed in the occupied Golan Heights. (AP)

 

Dutch prosecutors say they will not go ahead with charges against a company that rented equipment used to build Israel's West Bank separation barrier. (AP)

 

After meeting in Cairo, Fatah and Hamas once again agree to form a unity government, this time within the next three months. (AP)

 

Reports in the Arab media suggest Iran may have convinced Syria to allow Hezbollah to open a front against Israel on the Golan Heights. (Ha'aretz)

 

Palestinians are returning to a Christian village in the northern Galilee. (The Guardian)

 

Google's inclusion of Palestine in its list of landing pages is a small change that has made a big difference to Palestinians. (NPR)

 

A Jerusalem family specializes in tattooing Orthodox pilgrims for Easter. (AP)

 

KFC food is being smuggled through Gaza tunnels. (Xinhua)

 

Ownership of a profitable amusement park in northern Gaza is mysterious, as Hamas denies controlling it. (The National)

 

A women's collective in a Gaza refugee camp specializes in traditional cuisine. (The Guardian)

 

Palestinians in the West Bank compete with Chinese-made kaffiyehs. (Christian Science Monitor)

 

The Boulder, Colorado City Council is considering sister city-relations with Nablus. (The Denver Post)

 

 

 

David Kenner interviews Hamas leader Mishaal. (Foreign Policy)

 

Ibrahim Sharqieh says 65 years after the Nakba, Palestinians have little to cheer about. (CNN)

 

The National says the pain of the Nakba has not diminished over time. (The National)

 

Marco Greenberg says Israel could learn a thing or two about PR from Google. (Ha'aretz).

 

Asmaa al-Ghoul looks at Islamic Jihad's relationship with Iran and Iranian arms. (Al Monitor)

 

George Robinson looks at a new movie, "State 194," about PM Fayyad's institution-building program. (The Jewish Week)

 

Ben Caspit looks at the future of Israel's defense budget. (Al Monitor)

 

Omar Shaban argues the Palestine Investment Fund needs reform. (Al Monitor)

 

Several Palestinians are injured by Israeli occupation forces during Nakba day protests in the West Bank. (Ma'an)

 

Hundreds of Arab and Jewish students commemorate the Nakba at Tel Aviv University. (Xinhua)

 

Pres. Putin and PM Netanyahu discuss Syria. (AP)

 

Israel is moving to bolster the Palestinian economy and build ties to the PA. (Xinhua)

 

Israel shuts Gaza's only commercial crossing for Jewish holidays. (Xinhua)

 

Human rights groups say Pres. Abbas is preparing to criminalize torture. (Ma'an)

 

Palestinians say settlers burn fields near Nablus. (Ma'an)

 

Jewish extremists are accused of "price tag" attacks inside Israel and the occupied territories. (Ma'an)

 

A Palestinian man convicted of hijacking a plane in 1968 has been deported from Canada after 26 years in prison. (AP)

 

In remarks targeted mainly at the Syrian regime, Hamas says it rejects the rule of any Arab state over Palestinians. (Xinhua)

 

Netanyahu is under fire for his allegedly "costly lifestyle" at the public expense. (AP)

 

Israeli occupation authorities plan to build about 1,000 Palestinian homes in "Area C." (Jerusalem Post)

 

 

 

Shlomi Eldar says he knows the basics of Sec. Kerry's peace proposal. (Al Monitor)

 

Ami Ayalon says the recent Arab League statement on land swaps was nothing new. (Ha'aretz)

 

Anshel Pfeffer is concerned about the dreams some Israelis have to destroy Muslim holy places and replace them with a Jewish temple. (Ha'aretz)

 

Linah Alsaafin says the PA is struggling to find a way to stop Israeli expansion in the occupied Jordan Valley. (Al Monitor)

 

Hilary Rose and Steven Rose say Steven Hawking's boycott of an Israeli government conference was significant because of the importance of science to Israel's economy. (The Guardian)

 

Steve Caplan says Hawking should have gone to Israel and listened to Israelis and Palestinians. (The Guardian)

 

Moshe Arens says Israel is already a binational state and must do more to integrate its Arab citizens. (Ha'aretz)

 

Abeer Ayyoub says Palestinians were divided over the visit of Islamist cleric Qaradawi to Gaza. (Al Monitor)

 

Elisheva Goldberg says a new candidate for Sephardi Chief Rabbi in Israel is a noted anti-Arab racist. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

 

Bernard Avishai says Israelis need to rethink the interplay between peace and security in light of regional instability. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

 

Larry Diamond says Israel and its neighbors desperately need a US-brokered two-state solution. (The Atlantic)

 

Ori Nir says Israelis and others need to stop pretending the occupation is normal or routine. (Chicago Tribune)

 

A dozen regional Christian leaders complain they were mistreated by Israeli police during Orthodox Easter services. (AP)

 

Pres. Abbas says Israeli settlers must be stopped from entering Muslim holy places in Jerusalem. (Xinhua)

 

Draft laws by Hamas to impose harsh "religious" punishments, including amputations for theft, spark a major controversy in Gaza. (Al Monitor)

 

PM Fayyad says insuring press freedom should be one of the main responsibilities of the PA. (Ma'an)

 

A Palestinian-American is a rare NFL draft pick. (AP)

 

An Israeli cabinet minister accuses Russia of destabilizing the Middle East by selling arms to Syria. (AP)

 

Palestinian public sector employees once again strike due to delayed salary payments. (Ma'an)

 

Israeli forces arrest two former Palestinian militants who had been granted amnesty. (Xinhua)

 

In June the PA will stop paying fines imposed by Israel on Palestinian detainees. (Ma'an)

 

An Israeli interrogator accused of torture says detainees must be made to feel anything is possible. (Ha'aretz)

 

Abbas says renewed negotiations require Israeli recognition that a two-state solution is the intended outcome. (Xinhua)

 

The Times of Israel describes what it calls "secret" negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians in 2010. (Times of Israel)

 

The Israeli government says it is postponing planned settlement expansions in occupied east Jerusalem "for political sensitivity." (Jerusalem Post)

 

Israeli settlers are divided on the approach of a military commander in the occupied West Bank. (Ha'aretz)

 

In the latest twist to a long-running saga, Israeli officials now claim a young boy, Muhammad Al-Dura, believed shot during the start of the second intifada, was never killed at all. (Jerusalem Post)

 

 

 

Efraim Halevy says the Israeli government doesn't want the Assad regime to fall. (Foreign Affairs)

 

Elie Podeh says Israel is missing a huge opportunity by ignoring the Arab Peace Initiative. (Ha'aretz)

 

Nathan Guttman asks how big a breakthrough the recent Arab League statement really is. (The Forward)

 

Rami Khouri calls China's recent peace proposal "intriguing." (The Daily Star)

 

William Sutcliffe talks about his new novel "The Wall." (The Guardian)

 

Shlomo Avineri accuses cosmologist Stephen Hawking of hypocrisy for boycotting an Israeli government conference. (Ha'aretz)

 

The Boston Globe says Hawking had every right to make his nonviolent protest. (Boston Globe)

 

Akiva Eldar calls Hawking's boycott "unjust and unwise." (Al Monitor)

 

Barry Rubin says, with the region in political turmoil, bashing Israel has become almost pointless. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Asmaa al-Ghoul says Islamic Jihad takes a much harder and clear line than Hamas in opposing a two-state solution. (Al Monitor)

 

Lara Friedman and Daniel Seidemann say, in opposing Google's inclusion of Palestine in its range of landing pages, some Israelis are the ones clinging to a virtual reality. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

 

In comments directed towards Israel, Hezbollah claims Syria will provide it with "game changing" weapons. (New York Times)

 

Sec. Kerry and Pres. Abbas discuss peace in a phone call. (Xinhua)

 

Israeli officials suggest talks with Palestinians may resume in June. (YNet)

 

Palestinian officials say Kerry may present a new peace proposal in early June. (The Media Line)

 

Sec. Hagel says the US is determined to support its Middle East allies, including Israel and Egypt. (JTA)

 

El Salvador is set to establish diplomatic relations with Palestine. (JTA)

 

Israel arrests 13 Palestinians, and, in a separate incident, a PA security officer, in the occupied West Bank. (Xinhua/Ma'an)

 

In a visit to Gaza, the prominent Doha-based Islamist cleric Qaradawi rejects Israel's existence. (AP)

 

PLO officials say Israel's latest settlement announcement "sabotages" the possibility of new peace talks. (AFP)

 

Palestinians say they have called for an emergency Arab League meeting to discuss Jerusalem. (Ma'an)

 

With no actual elections in sight, the Palestinian "reality" TV show, "The President," is a big hit. (AP)

 

The boycott of an Israeli government conference by cosmologist Stephen Hawking gives new prominence to the BDS campaign. (CSM)

 

Israelis are more confident in Pres. Obama than Palestinians, but both want him to take the lead on peace. (JTA/Jerusalem Post)

 

Young Palestinians and Israeli settlers hold a rare meeting to discuss coexistence in occupied Hebron. (Ma'an)

 

 

 

Lior Akerman, a former senior Israeli security official, says PM Fayyad's resignation is a loss for both Israelis and Palestinians. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Guy Bechor says Israel shouldn't go forward with new peace talks until Palestinians hold a new national election. (YNet)

 

Jonathan Cook says Israel isn't interested in a negotiated agreement with the Palestinians. (The National)

 

Nir Hasson says the construction of Route 20 in northern Jerusalem makes any future division of the city far more difficult. (Ha'aretz)

 

Bradley Burston says extreme right-wing "pro-Israel" advocacy is often just self-defeating hate speech. (Ha'aretz)

 

Jennifer Lipman says Hawking's boycott of an Israeli government conference won't inform or change anyone's views. (The Guardian)

 

The Economist says the boycott campaign can carry a heavy price for some Palestinians. (The Economist)

 

Eyad Abu Shakra says Israel's air strike in Syria was designed to send multiple messages to various parties, and seems successful. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

 

Asmaa al-Ghoul says Palestinian Islamic Jihad is reshaping and intensifying its political profile. (Al Monitor)

 

Akiva Eldar says "Jerusalem Day" means nothing when it's not celebrated by 67% of its residents. (Al Monitor)

 

Nadav Eyal says PM Netanyahu is striking a different tone on peace these days, probably in response to US policy. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

 

Nick Witney and Daniel Levy say, if Europe is going to make a difference, it's going to have to really oppose Israeli expansionism. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)