President Obama and PM Netanyahu discuss regional security and Middle East peace in a phone call. (Reuters)

 

Sec. Kerry will visit the Middle East again in two weeks and reiterates there is a short windowfor renewed peace efforts. (AP)

 

Former Pres. Clinton will also visit Israel in June. (Xinhua)

 

China is also attempting to begin to become a player in Middle East peace. (New York Times/AP)

 

The State Department urges respect for freedom of worship after charges Israel restricted Palestinian Christian travel to Jerusalem this Easter. (JTA)

 

A senior figure in the Israeli Shas party urges Netanyahu to adopt the Arab League peace initiative. (Ha'aretz)

 

Israeli media reports the government has approved 296 new settlement housing units near Ramallah. (Ma'an)

 

Israel releases the grand mufti of Jerusalem after questioning. (New York Times)

 

Young Palestinians clash with Israeli occupation forces at the Al Aqsa mosque compound. (Ma'an)

 

Pres. Peres assures Jordan that Israel will honor agreements regarding holy sites. (Jerusalem Post)

 

The UN decries rising poverty in occupied East Jerusalem. (Al Jazeera)

 

Fatah officials say Palestinians don't take orders from the Syrian regime. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Physicist Stephen Hawking confirms his refusal to attend an Israeli government conference is in protest against its policies towards the Palestinians. (New York Times/AP)

 

Hawking's critics say if he wants to boycott Israel he should stop using Israeli technology in his communications equipment. (The Guardian)

 

An Israeli human rights group says half the Palestinians killed in Israel's last Gaza operationwere civilians. (Ha'aretz)

 

Israel launches its first automated drone. (Xinhua)

 

Doha-based Islamist cleric Qaradawi visits Gaza, which Fatah condemns. (AFP/Jerusalem Post)

 

A parliamentary delegation from Bahrain is also visiting Gaza. (Ma'an)

 

Jordanian prisoners are hunger-striking against the peace treaty with Israel. (The Media Line)

 

Hamas says it's trying to root out Israeli spy networks in Gaza. (Reuters)

 

China and Israel set up a task force to increase trade. (South China Morning Post)

 

PA police mistakenly shoot a woman near Hebron. (Ma'an)

 

Palestinians report there are growing indications of oil in the occupied West Bank, which Israel may be quietly exploiting. (UPI)

 

Egypt summons the Israeli ambassador over alleged mistreatment of Egyptian staff at the embassy in Tel Aviv. (Xinhua)

 

The Israeli state may be considering closer ties with J Street. (YNet)

 

 

 

Lara Friedman says it's completely wrong to think Netanyahu has frozen settlement construction or expansion. (Daily Beast/Open Zion) 

 

The CSM profiles Palestinian activist turned scholar Mohammed Dajani. (Christian Science Monitor)

 

Ha'aretz says proposed new legislation in Israel would undemocratically stifle criticism of Israeli military actions. (Ha'aretz)

 

Chemi Shalev says Hawking is now the "unlikely poster child" of the boycott movement. (Ha'aretz)

 

Carlo Strenger accuses Hawking of hypocrisy. (Ha'aretz)

 

Ben White says Hawking should be commended for his boycott. (Al Jazeera)

 

Gershon Baskin says there is nothing "united" about Jerusalem under Israeli rule. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Gil Troy calls Israeli "price tag" vigilantes "morally bankrupt, politically foolish criminals." (Jerusalem Post)

 

Xinhua asks why Syria isn't responding to Israel's airstrike. (Xinhua)

 

Aaron David Miller says Kerry is right to try to get Arab states involved in the peace process, but is unlikely to succeed, and only the Israelis and the Palestinians can really make it happen. (Foreign Policy)

 

Brent Sasley says an Israeli law mandating a referendum on any peace agreement is a bad idea. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

 

George Hishmeh says Israel's airstrike in Syria was designed to undermine the prospects of new peace talks. (Gulf News)

 

Abdullah Iskandar says Israel had no right to attack Syria. (Al Hayat)

 

Nassif Hitti says the Arab League can help Israelis and Palestinians negotiate. (Al Monitor)

 

Douglas Bloomfield says the Arab League has to get involved in a meaningful way. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Ron Kampeas says Qatar is trying to make its name as a Middle East peacemaker. (JTA)

 

Badar Salem looks at the myriad challenges faced by gay Palestinians. (Al Bawaba)

 

Pres. Abbas is visiting China and seeking diplomatic support there. (New York Times/Ma'an)

 

PM Netanyahu is also visiting China, focusing on economic issues, but is joined by the head of Israel's military intelligence. (AP/Ha'aretz)

 

China's hosting of the two leaders indicates a desire for a larger Middle East role. (AP)

 

Syria blames Israel for an air raid against targets near Damascus. (New York Times)

 

The attack prompts anger and threats in Syria, which says "all options are open." (AP/Washington Post)

 

Syria accuses Israel of using depleted uranium shells during the attack, and of aiding Al Qaeda. (Jerusalem Post/Asharq Al-Awsat)

 

Israeli reaction focuses on growing tensions with Syria. (AP)

 

Israel cancels civil air flights in its northern regions due to growing tensions along the frontiers with Syria and Lebanon. (Xinhua)

 

Many see a message in the action to Iran. (New York Times)

 

The airstrike highlights conundrums faced by the Arab League. (AP)

 

Tensions grow in the West Bank as 1000 Israeli right-wingers and troops visit a holy site. (Ma'an)

 

Israel allows the children of prisoners from Gaza to visit them. (Xinhua)

 

Hamas says two of its senior officials were denied entry into Egypt. (Ma'an)

 

The EU contributes €20 million to the PA to help pay April public sector employee salaries. (PNN)

 

The PLO denies Al Qaeda is operating in the Ain Al-Hilweh refugee camp in south Lebanon. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

 

 

 

 

Israel's chief negotiator Livni meets Sec. Kerry in Washington. (Ha'aretz)

 

Palestinian officials say they expect the United States to pressure Pres. Abbas to resume talks with Israel. (Xinhua)

 

Fatah officials say it's too early to speak concretely about land swaps with Israel. (Ma'an)

 

Hamas rejects the recent Arab League statement endorsing land swaps between Israel and the Palestinians. (Xinhua)

 

China offers to broker a meeting between Abbas and PM Netanyahu. (JTA)

 

Sec. Hagel reportedly suggests to Israeli officials that a military option against Iran might be considered after that country's presidential election. (Ha'aretz)

 

The US has reportedly upgraded a bunker buster bomb within eye to action in Iran. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Five Palestinian refugees are injured in an explosion in Lebanon. (Xinhua)

 

Dozens of Palestinian journalists protest Israeli restrictions in the occupied West Bank. (PNN)

 

The relatives of prisoners criticize a PA decision to stop paying Israeli court imposed fines. (Ma'an)

 

Settlers protest the raising of a new outpost in the occupied West Bank. (Jerusalem Post)

 

The father of a Palestinian man accused of stabbing an Israeli settler says he's proud of his son. (Jerusalem Post)

 

The PA is working to include the word Palestine in Internet lists and domains. (Xinhua)

 

A prominent Egyptian activist defends her anti-Israel tweets. (New York Times)

 

Netanyahu is visiting China with an emphasis on economic ties. (AP)

 

A disabled baby from Gaza is living in an Israeli hospital. (AP)

 

An alleged beating by PA police may have cost a man his ability to speak. (Al Monitor)

 

A new Church of Scotland report on Israel's biblical claims angers many. (Ha'aretz)

 

The National profiles a Palestinian singer from Gaza from the Arab Idol TV show. (The National)

 

Al Quds University in occupied East Jerusalem is looking for official recognition from Israel's educational authorities. (Al Monitor)

 

A paralyzed photographer's story highlights the challenges facing disabled Palestinians. (Al Monitor)

 

 

 

The New York Times says the recent Arab League statement on land swaps is a welcome move. (New York Times)

 

The Jordan Times says Israel needs to respond to the overture. (Jordan Times)

 

Akiva Eldar says Netanyahu's ideology will prevent him from responding positively to the Arab League statement. (Al Monitor)

 

Brent Sasley says, despite conventional wisdom, this is an opportune time for new peace talks. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

 

Shlomi Eldar looks at Qatar's bewildering multiple policies, including on Israeli-Palestinian peace. (Al Monitor)

 

Yaakov Lappin says Iran and Egypt are locked in a power struggle over influence in Gaza. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Anshel Pfeffer says the BDS campaign is doing harm to Israel by strengthening the settler movement. (Ha'aretz)

 

The Economist says Jewish settlements are driving away Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. (The Economist)

 

Hillel Halkin says Israel was right not to return the occupied Golan Heights to Syria, given the chaos in that country now. (The Forward)

 

Mohammed Suliman says most Palestinian factions in Gaza want to maintain the cease-fire with Israel in spite of a recent assassination. (Al Monitor)

 

Alan Dershowitz says it's disgraceful that some Jews would boo efforts to make peace with Palestinians. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Adam Simpson says narratives, not money, determine the influence of the pro-Israel lobby in the United States. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

 

PM Fayyad says he remains generally optimistic but that the Palestinian leadership has to stay relevant and engaged. (Al Monitor)

 

Many Palestinian youths are yearning for new political alternatives. (Reuters)

 

PM Netanyahu endorses the idea that any peace agreement should be backed up by a popular referendum. (AP)

 

Netanyahu and his key allies are reportedly worried that Sec. Kerry is inching towards the Arab League stance on the two-state solution. (Ha'aretz)

 

Israel's response to the apparent Arab League endorsement of land swaps is cool, andPalestinian reaction is also mixed. (Washington Post/VOA)

 

Former PM Olmert calls the Arab League statement "historic" and a great opportunity for Israel. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Hamas leader Mishaal rejects the notion of a land swap with Israel. (Ma'an)

 

For all the diplomatic activity, renewed peace talks are nowhere in sight. (Ha'aretz)

 

Critics of the occupation say apparent relative calm is always an illusion. (New York Times)

 

An Israeli citizen is arrested by Lebanese authorities after allegedly crossing the border illegally. (Xinhua)

 

A Palestinian fisherman from Gaza describes his ordeals at the hands of the Israeli military. (PNN)

 

Settlers begin constructing a new outpost near Nablus. (Ma'an)

 

Israeli settlers attack another Palestinian village in the occupied territories. (Jerusalem Post)

 

PA security forces arrest five Hamas activists in the West Bank. (Ma'an)

 

Palestinians are dealing with water shortages in the occupied West Bank with as much equanimity as they can muster. (CSM)

 

The Israeli Knesset is reportedly adopting a new law that prevents citizens of "enemy states"from suing Israel. (Xinhua)

 

Netanyahu is visiting China in a bid to strengthen ties. (Xinhua)

 

A new Pew poll of Muslim opinion shows a substantial minority of Palestinians think suicide bombing is sometimes justifiable, among other mixed and complex results. (Pew Research Center/Daily Telegraph/CNN/)

 

Google's search engine now recognizes Palestine rather than "the Palestinian territories." (PNN)

 

Cooperation may be growing between Bedouin tribesmen and Muslim extremists in Sinai. (The Media Line)

 

 

 

Ari Shavit says better security and the diplomatic impasse don't make Israel's crisis with the occupied Palestinian population go away. (Ha'aretz)

 

Raphael Ahren looks at the range of Israeli reactions to the Arab League statement on land swaps. (Times of Israel)

 

Shimon Shiffer says there is a solid majority in the Netanyahu coalition against a two-state solution. (YNet)

 

Herb Keinon says the best basis for Israeli-Arab reconciliation is shared concerns about Syria and Iran. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Israel Harel says a referendum on a peace agreement is essential for its legitimacy. (Ha'aretz)

 

Husam Itani says the dysfunctionality of Palestinian politics is what's giving hunger striking prisoners and others so much importance. (Al Hayat)

 

The Gulf News says Israel's apparent disinterest in the recent Arab League statement on land swaps shows peace cannot be a one-way street. (Gulf News)

 

Dalia Hatuqa says some Palestinians feel the Arab League statement was presumptuous and unauthorized by them. (Al Monitor)

 

Asmaa al-Ghoul says Gaza's agricultural and green spaces are under constant threat. (Al Monitor)

 

Brandon Davis looks at the campaign to delegitimize pro-Palestinian queer voices. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

 

Daniel Kurtzer says the US must begin to articulate a clear framework for new negotiations. (Deutsche Welle)

 

AFP looks at Sec. Kerry's cautious but determined push to revive Middle East peace talks. (AFP)

 

Kerry calls the recent Arab League statement about negotiations with Israel "a big step." (New York Times)

 

As Kerry is making some progress, some limited violence is flaring on the ground. (Christian Science Monitor)

 

Palestinian negotiators say they share the Arab League position accepting the principle of land swaps, but add that this isn't anything new. (Xinhua/Ma'an)

 

A cabinet minister close to PM Netanyahu says Israel will not negotiate based on the 1967 borders, but Palestinian negotiators say this is the only basis for talks. (AFP/Ha'aretz)

 

Netanyahu says territory is not the basis of the Middle East conflict, but also that Israel needs a Palestinian state in order to avoid becoming a binational polity. (AFP/Ha'aretz)

 

Labour Party officials say they would join a coalition that was pursuing peace. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Pres. Peres says the Pope has a role to play in Middle East peace and invites him to visit Israel. (AP)

 

Rights groups say Israeli occupation forces killed four Palestinians and arrested 259 in April. (PNN)

 

Israeli settlers and Palestinians clash in the occupied territories after the stabbing death of a settler. (AP/Jerusalem Post)

 

Israeli security forces brace for more possible settler violence. (YNet)

 

Israeli forces shoot at Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Gaza, injuring one. (PNN)

 

Israel's recent airstrike in Gaza is a warning to Hamas to rein in more extremist groups in territories under their control. (Christian Science Monitor)

 

Hamas' military wing is moving to secure the border areas with Israel. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

 

A Fatah official's car is shot at in Gaza. (Ma'an)

 

UNIFIL urges Israel to withdraw from a Lebanese town. (Xinhua)

 

Israeli reservists are called up for a drill on a possible confrontation with Hezbollah. (Xinhua)

 

Young Palestinians use graffiti to express themselves. (Xinhua)

 

Palestinian refugees from Syria are still seeking refuge in Gaza. (The Guardian)

 

 

 

Amos Harel says the three main security threats Israel faces at present are violent settlers, rockets from Gaza and the fate of Syria's chemical weapons. (Ha'aretz)

 

Hassan Kaabiya says it's shocking that Israel's military rabbis would rule non-Jewish troops in the IDF are not equal to Jewish ones. (YNet)

 

Ha'aretz says another law extending detentions without charge or process for suspected terrorists is a stain on Israel's legal system. (Ha'aretz)

 

The Jerusalem Post says it supports a law requiring a referendum on any peace agreement. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Jonathan Freedland says Israeli ultra-Orthodox parties may hold the key to a solution. (Gulf News)

 

Zvi Bar'el calls Israel the "superpower of international panic." (Ha'aretz)

 

Gil Troy denounces the outspokenness of former Israeli security officials in the film "The Gatekeepers." (Jerusalem Post)

 

Yaakov Lappin says Israel's recent military actions send a message to foes to its north and south. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Ben Caspit interviews Daniel Abraham, founder of the Center for Middle East Peace.

 

Mohammed Suliman looks at the growing problem of child labor in Gaza. (Al Monitor)