NEWS:

Israel is seeking massive low-interest US bridge loans of billions of dollars for a Pentagon-proposed package of V-22 Ospreys, F-15 radars and precision-strike weaponry. (Defense News)

American lawmakers are proposing to triple US aid for Israeli missile defense programs. (Jerusalem Post)

The State Department calls Israel's new settlement projects "unhelpful," but says it remains hopeful about the prospects for new negotiations. (Times of Israel/KUNA)

Israel's right-wing housing minister claims there has been a de facto "settlement freeze" in occupied East Jerusalem since the beginning of the year, and says settler complaints should be targeted at the PM's office. (Xinhua/Jerusalem Post)

FM Al-Malki denounces comments from Deputy DM Danon that "there will never be a Palestinian state." (Ma'an)

A senior Palestinian official says PM Netanyahu "is not an extremist," but that he must freeze settlement activity before negotiations resume. (Times of Israel)

UK Minister for the Middle East, Alistair Burt, says "a Palestinian state without Gaza is inconceivable." (PNN)

Report suggests Sweden may cut aid to Palestinians, given the lack of progress on negotiations with Israel. (PNN)

Israeli police say Jewish extremists have torched two Palestinian cars in an Arab neighborhood of Jerusalem, and vandalized a Christian cemetery in Jaffa. (AP/Xinhua)

Thousands of Bedouins protest Israeli plans for their eviction from the southern Negev desert. (Xinhua)

The Israeli military denies allegations soldiers forced a Muslim Palestinian to drink wine at gunpoint. (Ma'an)

The Israeli military says it has discovered two tunnels under its West Bank separation barrier (Ma'an)

Palestinian lawyers say they will stage a one-day strike to protest an alleged assault on one of their members by anti-drug police in Bethlehem. (Ma'an)

Former Palestinian women prisoners in Israeli jails recount their experiences. (Al Monitor)

Some Israeli parents object to their children visiting an amusement park accused of "apartheid" policies against Palestinians. (Ha'aretz)

The West Bank’s only ballet school offers a refuge for Palestinian kids. (PRI)

Palestinian refugee elders in Lebanon keep traditions alive by various means including hosting traditional weddings. (VOA)

COMMENTARY:

Abdulmajeed Swelem says former PM Fayyad was, and will continue to be, a "warrior" for Palestine. (Al Ayam, translated by ATFP)

David Makovsky says Europe should get tough with the Palestinians, and the US get tough with Israel, for the sake of peace. (New York Times)

The Jerusalem Post says there is a troubling incoherence in the Israeli governments conflicting comments about policy towards a two-state solution. (Jerusalem Post)

Akiva Eldar also says the Israeli government needs to decide once and for all if it's for a two-state solution or not. (Al Monitor)

Uri Dromi also says Israel needs clarity regarding its position on Palestinian statehood. (Miami Herald)

Lorenzo Kamel points out that the alternative to a two-state solution is more conflict, not a one-state solution of any kind. (Al Monitor)

Matthew Kalman lists seven ways he thinks Netanyahu is destroying Israeli diplomacy. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

Daniel Levy says it's ridiculous to call European labeling of Israeli settlement products "anti-Semitic." (Ha'aretz)

Mira Sucharov says Jewish youths need to learn that ending the reoccupation and allowing a Palestinian state is a win-win scenario. (Ha'aretz)

Ha'aretz says Israel must close the huge gaps in standard of living between Jewish and Arab citizens. (Ha'aretz)

Salman Masalha says Islamic movements are dangerous for Palestinian citizens of Israel, just like Jewish extremism is for Jewish Israelis, and Israel should simply ban all religious parties. (Ha'aretz)

Oded Even-Or says both Israeli and Palestinian groups train youngsters for violence. (YNet)

David Weinberg says Jewish refugees from Arab states need justice too. (Jerusalem Post)

Jeanette Horowitz says even though Boulder decided not to become a sister city with Nablus, real progress was made in the process. (JTA)

Mohammed Suliman describes the difficulties of crossing from Gaza to Egypt. (Al Monitor)

Ha'aretz interviews Mohammed Dajani, who is convinced his moderate movement will ultimately become a dominant Palestinian political force, but not in his lifetime. (Ha'aretz)

NEWS:

Israel says it's going forward with plans for 1,000 new settler housing units in the occupied West Bank. (AP/Xinhua/AFP)

Deputy DM Danon says there will never be a Palestinian state, and Palestinians must be governed by Jordan. (Ma'an)

Another Likud party MK says Palestinians are "not ready for a state," and Israel should seek an interim, rather than a final status, agreement. (Jerusalem Post)

Likud MK Levin becomes the head of the annexationist, "greater Israel," caucus in the Knesset. (Times of Israel)

PM Netanyahu calls for renewed peace talks "immediately." (AP/Times of Israel)

Palestinian officials say their only "precondition" is that talks be based on the 1967 borders. (YNet)

Palestinian officials say they fear extremists in the Israeli government will make progress on peace impossible, and say they can't guarantee there won't be another intifada. (Jerusalem Post/YNet)

A Yesh Atid party MK warns that the occupation will turn Israel into another South Africa. (YNet)

The PA strongly objects to Israeli construction plans at Jerusalem holy sites. (Jerusalem Post)

Israelis and Palestinians have radically different perspectives on the notorious Tarqumiya crossing, used mainly by Palestinian workers going to jobs in Israel. (Ha'aretz)

The UN says it is urgently seeking new peacekeeping forces for the Golan Heights. (New York Times)

Netanyahu opens a new educational pavilion at Auschwitz, and says Iran threatens a second Holocaust. (AP)

Israeli police say suspected Jewish extremists have desecrated a Christian cemetery in Tel Aviv. (AP/AFP)

Israeli police arrest Jewish teenagers suspected of attacking an Arab taxi driver. (Xinhua)

Israel denies press reports it sold weapons to Pakistan. (Xinhua)

A Palestinian man is indicted for the murder of an Israeli settler. (Times of Israel)

Hamas says it intends to execute two Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel. (Jerusalem Post)

Singer Mohammad Assaf thanks his fans in Palestine for supporting him in the final stages of the Arab Idol TV singing competition. (Ma'an)

The Palestinian consumer price index rises very slightly over the past month. (PNN)

Jordanian and Israeli medical students complete their first joint emergency medicine training program. (YNet)

Some Gaza farmers want to increase exports to Israel. (Jerusalem Post)

Couples continue to be frustrated by thelack of civil marriage in Israel. (The Media Line)

Israel’s Mossad chief Pardo meets the head of Turkish intelligence. (Hürriyet)

The campaign for Palestinian civil rights in Lebanon finds itself in limbo. (Daily Star)

COMMENTARY:

Ari Shavit says Israel's new settlement surge threatens the two-state solution, a Jewish and democratic state, and "the Zionist dream." (Ha'aretz)

Mazal Mualem interviews former Meretz leader Oron, who worries about "the collapse of the Zionist enterprise." (Al Monitor)

Gershon Baskin says the main challenge facing peace at the moment is the depth of despair and dearth of optimism. (Jerusalem Post)

Roy Isacowitz says Israeli leaders should learn empathy, courage and compromise from Nelson Mandela. (Ha'aretz)

Dalia Hatuqa says the appointment of PM Hamdallah will change little. (The National)

Ha'aretz says Israel cannot continue without an actual Foreign Minister. (Ha'aretz)

Alex Fishman says Israel should avoid military actions given the volatility of the Middle East. (YNet)

Lily Galili looks at how Russian immigrants to Israel view the conflict with the Palestinians. (Al Monitor)

Jacob Heilbrunn insists the US-Israeli relationship is in flux, and hopes Sec. Kerry's efforts succeed despite all the obstacles. (The National Interest)

AP interviews the new Palestinian economics minister Mohammad Mustafa, who says the outlook is bleak. (AP)

Hani Almadhoun looks at the Mohammad Assaf cultural phenomenon among Palestinians. (Huffington Post)

NEWS:

PM Netanyahu distances himself from a joint statement with Poland that endorses "a two-state solution" and says "unilateral steps by either party are counterproductive." (Ha'aretz/Times of Israel)

Meretz MK Gal-On says Netanyahu's backtracking on the statement with Poland shows he's no partner for peace. (Jerusalem Post)

UK officials warn Israel faces increased international isolation if new US peace efforts fail. (Jerusalem Post)

Netanyahu forbids Likud ministers from attending the launch of a Knesset pro-settlement caucus. (Ha'aretz)

For years Britain has refused to provide Israel with some military equipment, on the grounds it might add to "internal repression" and damage regional stability. (Ha'aretz)

The new Palestinian cabinet discusses the deepening PA financial crisis. (Xinhua/Jerusalem Post)

A "temporary" ban on Palestinians living in Israel with their spouses enters its 10th year. (AP)

The UN human rights investigator for the Palestinian territories, Richard Falk, rebuffs calls for him to resign over criticism of Israel's abuse of Palestinians "on a massive scale." (Reuters/BBC)

Palestinians claim Israeli occupation forces made a Muslim Palestinian drink wine at gunpoint. (Ma'an)

Austrian UN peacekeepers begin their pullout from the Golan Heights, although the UN asked them for more time to prepare. (AP/Reuters)

The Israeli military says, with arms from Iran being withheld, Hamas is looking for new sources of weapons. (Times of Israel)

PA and Egyptian officials discuss Hamas' alleged involvement in prison breaks during the Egyptian uprising in 2011. (Ma'an)

Sec. Hagel and DM Yaalon will meet this week. (JTA)

The City Council of Boulder, Colorado, rejects a proposal to become a sister city with Nablus. (JTA)

COMMENTARY:

Ali Ayyad says, as with many other Palestinians, Israel is using its 1950 Absentee Property Law to steal his land. (Ha'aretz)

Shlomo Sand says he remains committed to a two-state solution despite allegations to the contrary. (Ha'aretz)

Bradley Burston says the end of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state might be nearer even than Leon Wieseltier fears. (Ha'aretz)

Shimon Shiffer says Tzipi Livni will eventually realize she can't be the fig leaf for the current Israeli government's pretense of wanting a two-state solution. (YNet)

Brent Sasley says Livni's threat to leave the government is misguided and empty. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

Brent Sasley also says Israel's "kitchen cabinet" style internal negotiations lead to foreign-policy blunders. (The Atlantic)

Asmaa al-Ghoul says Hamas is struggling to balance its ideology with the practical realities of governance. (Al Monitor)

Elhanan Miller says Israel's peace with Egypt and Jordan is growing even colder. (Times of Israel)

Gil Troy says Samantha Power’s nomination for UN Amb. is another indication of the Obama Administration's new "tough love" approach to Israel. (Jerusalem Post)

Stuart Reigeluth says Israel is too committed to war to accept a promising new chance for peace. (Gulf News)

Timon Dias says the EU doesn't understand it's actually the Palestinians who don't want peace. (Jerusalem Post)

Abeer Ayyoub says Israeli travel restrictions keep Palestinian couples apart. (Al Monitor)

NEWS:

Israel is moving decisively to strengthen its hold on occupied East Jerusalem, including confiscated private Palestinian property. (Christian Science Monitor)

PM Netanyahu insists Israeli settlement construction in the occupied West Bank will continue in spite of peace efforts, but Israel must be intelligent about it. (Xinhua/Ha'aretz)

Netanyahu says Palestinians are posing "insurmountable preconditions" for peace negotiations. (AFP)

A new poll suggests 85% of Israelis oppose releasing Palestinian prisoners as part of peace efforts. (Jerusalem Post)

FM Judeh is visiting Jordanian prisoners held by Israel. (Jordan Times)

The PA says its fiscal crisis is only worsening. (Ma'an)

Jordan's King Abdallah reiterates his support for Palestinians and role as custodian of Jerusalem holy places. (Jordan Times)

A British report says Israel is selling weapons to many countries, including Arab and Muslim ones. (Ha'aretz)

A Palestinian worker is shot by an Israeli settler amid a wave of arrests. (Xinhua)

A new study shows Palestinian children are deeply traumatized when their homes are demolished by Israel. (Al Monitor)

With Israel increasingly surrounding itself with walls and fences, some worry about increased isolation. (Washington Post)

Israel signs a free trade agreement with Columbia. (Xinhua)

The President of Columbia also visits Pres. Abbas in Ramallah. (PNN)

An Israeli court indicts a man accused of killing a woman in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ma'an)

In a rare legal victory, Palestinian citizens of Israel regain confiscated land. (The National)

Hamas insists it has never "interfered with Egypt's security." (Ma'an)

Israel distributes 10,000 gas masks to Arab citizens. (YNet)

Israeli are no longer visiting a once popular resort in southern Sinai. (Times of Israel)

Israeli Amb. Oren praises US UN Amb. nominee Power as "caring deeply about Israel's security needs." (JTA)

South Africa's Jews and Muslims, once united against apartheid, are now split on Israel and the Palestinians. (The Forward)

Members of Congress and other politicians are again talking about stripping the presidential waiver from the Jerusalem Embassy Law. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

COMMENTARY:

Leon Wieseltier says without a peace agreement with the Palestinians Israel won't long remain a Jewish state and that the universal abandonment of Salam Fayyad was "a historical scandal of the first magnitude.” (AP)

Swedish minister Gunilla Carlsson says Israeli and Palestinian leaders must take bold moves for peace immediately. (Ma'an)

Sefi Rachlevsky says Israel can expect a painful wake-up call on its unsustainable settlement policy. (Ha'aretz)

David Horovitz asks why Netanyahu has promoted Danny Danon and others he knows are outspoken opponents of Palestinian statehood. (Times of Israel)

J.J. Goldberg says Netanyahu is being outmaneuvered by colleagues to his right. (The Forward)

Carlo Strenger appeals to Abbas to help save the two-state solution. (Ha'aretz)

Benjamin Pogrund says if Israel were really interested in peace it would test Arab commitment to the API. (Ha'aretz)

Akiva Eldar says a peacekeeping force in the occupied Golan Heights is no substitute for actual piece. (Al Monitor)

Nathan Guttman says Israel is benefiting from the Syrian war as Hamas and Hezbollah suffers setbacks. (The Forward)

Gal Beckerman says Israel's continued obsession with the Mohammed al-Dura affair shows its unwillingness to confront its own dark side. (The Forward)

Shlomi Eldar says, by supporting Syrian rebels, Hamas is jeopardizing its weapons supply from Iran. (Al Monitor)

Peter Berkowitz says Israel's image isn't actually fraying in the United States. (The National Interest)

NEWS:

Official Israeli figures show another significant spike in settlement activity. (AP)

Palestinian officials accuse Israeli companies of forging property documents to facilitate settlement building. (Xinhua)

Israeli occupation authorities order the destruction of eight Palestinian properties in the flashpoint East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan. (Ma'an)

Palestinian officials say Pres. Abbas will meet Sec. Kerry early this week, but Kerry's trip may be postponed. (Ma'an/PNN)

Labour Party leader Yacimovich tells PM Netanyahu she'd be willing to join his coalition in support of serious peace efforts. (Jerusalem Post)

Senior Israeli officials disavow Deputy DM Danon's recent repudiation of a two-state solution. (Irish Times/YNet/Times of Israel)

Former FM Lieberman joins those claiming there has been a "de facto settlement freeze" in occupied East Jerusalem since the beginning of the year. (Ha'aretz/Jerusalem Post)

Jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti says current US peace efforts are "unfair" because they are "biased towards Israel." (Xinhua)

Israeli and Palestinian leaders continue to blame each other for lack of progress on peace. (The National)

Israel bars Fatah official Jibril Rajoub from entering Israel. (Times of Israel)

A Knesset panel pushes forward with a controversial new, sweeping and very broad "anti-terror" law. (Xinhua)

Palestinian farmers near Israel's Gaza "buffer zone" face continuous dangers to both their lives and crops from occupation forces. (New York Times)

Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian farmer in southern Gaza. (Ma'an)

Palestinians clash with Israeli settlers at "Joseph's tomb." (Ma'an)

Four Palestinians receive life in prison for the 2010 murder of an Israeli police officer. (Jerusalem Post)

The PA economy minister walks out of a BDS meeting, and security forces are accused of beating an activist who criticized him. (Jerusalem Post)

Palestinians in Hebron launch the first protest against the new government of PM Hamdallah. (Jerusalem Post)

The head of the Palestinian public employees union welcomes the PA cabinet reshuffle. (Ma'an)

Israel is trying to stay out of the Syrian war despite heavy fighting near the occupied Golan Heights. (Reuters)

The frontier between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights is seen as increasingly unstable. (Xinhua)

Israel's military exports jumped by 20% in 2012. (Xinhua)

Israel is making cyber security recruitment and training a priority as early as 10th grade. (Christian Science Monitor)

Israel ranks low among countries in providing aid to poor nations. (Los Angeles Times)

Experts squabble over whether mass graves in Jaffa originate from the 1948 war or World War I. (Ha'aretz)

COMMENTARY:

J.J. Goldberg says Israeli security officials believe Netanyahu's policies are preventing serious negotiations with the Palestinians, and that the political and security establishments are deeply at odds over policy towards the Palestinians. (The Forward)

Khaled Abu Toameh says some Palestinian leaders are spreading extreme rhetoric that compromises peace with Israel. (Gatestone)

Ben Caspit says the US still believes Netanyahu is not the main obstacle to peace. (Al Monitor)

Nathan Jeffay says discrimination at an Israeli amusement park is just the tip of the iceberg, and discrimination against Arabs is rampant there. (The Forward)

Eitan Haber says Israel is losing American support as US interests in the Middle East are evolving. (YNet)

Amira Hass looks at Hamdallah's record in building An-Najah University. (Ha'aretz)

Yossi Sarid says the Jewish National Fund has outlived its usefulness. (Ha'aretz)

Romana Michelon looks at the prospects of a third intifada for EU policy. (FRIDE) 

Itamar Rabinovich says, from an Israeli point of view, that without significant US intervention the war in Syria is likely to become a regional one. (Hoover)

Amira Hass says Palestinian officials need to learn the media wants information, not familiar clichés. (Ha'aretz)

Barry Rubin calls Kerry's peace efforts "embarrassing." (Jerusalem Post)

Dani Dayan ardently defends Israel's settlement project. (The Guardian)

Uri Avnery calls the 1967 war "a Greek tragedy." (Jerusalem Post)

Michael Bar-Zohar calls 1967 "the war no one wanted." (Jerusalem Post)

Daniella Cheslow looks at the struggle over the West Bank village of Batir with its ancient terraces, now threatened by Israel's separation barrier. (Tablet)

NEWS:

Rami Hamdallah, a political newcomer, is sworn-in as new PA Prime Minister. (New York Times/AP/LA Times)

UNSG Ban welcomes Hamdallah's appointment. (UN)

Pres. Abbas appoints Shukri Bishara, a banker, as the new PA finance minister. (Bloomberg)

Abbas says he has received no indication from Hamas about possible elections. (Ma'an)

Israel's deputy defense minister vows this government would block any two-state solution. (Times of Israel)

Sec. Kerry will return to the Middle East next week for further peace efforts. (Reuters)

The EU says settlements are leading to Israel's further international isolation. (JTA)

Israel says it hopes to reengage with the UNHRC. (Jerusalem Post)

As fighting in Syria rages near the occupied Golan Heights, Israel considers its options. (New York Times/AP)

Israel is rushing to complete its latest large barrier, this time along the lines between Syria and the occupied Golan Heights. (Washington Post)

Israel establishes a military unit to document IDF activities. (Xinhua)

The Israeli military says Palestinian militants are increasing efforts to abduct Israelis. (JTA)

Israel claims Gaza militants are building underground rocket launch tunnels. (YNet)

The UN says it plans to aid Palestinian victims of Israeli settler violence. (Ha'aretz)

Israeli forces detain two Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Gaza. (Ma'an)

The International Labour Organization says Palestinian economic growth will remain frozen if Israeli restrictions stay in place. (PNN)

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) issues surveys on existing building and quality of industrial production in Palestine. (PNN)

Some Jewish-American groups seem lukewarm on Pres. Obama's appointment of Samantha Power as UN ambassador, but are not as hostile as some predicted. (Jerusalem Post)

Power wins key Jewish-American support. (The Forward)

Gaza merchants claim a honey mixture treats erectile dysfunction, male infertility and other ailments. (Al Monitor)

Five church schools in Gaza face closure after Hamas' enforced educational gender segregation and ban on coeducational institutions. (Catholic Herald)

COMMENTARY:

Diana Atallah says Palestinians don't expect much from their new prime minister. (The Media Line)

Eric Yoffie says Jewish Americans must heed Kerry's appeal and pressure PM Netanyahu on peace. (Ha'aretz)

Ron Kampeas says new national security advisor Rice will be dealing a great deal with Israeli-related issues. (JTA)

Ilene Prusher says Israel's "Absentee Property Law" is immoral and an obstacle to peace. (Ha'aretz)

Gideon Levyand Alex Levac look at the plight of a Bethlehem man living under Israeli occupation. (Ha'aretz)

Leonard Fein says it's good that UN ambassador nominee Power has been a strong human rights advocate, even if that makes some supporters of Israel nervous. (The Forward)

Shlomi Eldar says Israel's experiences in Gaza since 1967 should teach it some humility. (Al Monitor)

NEWS:

Hamas' military wing denies Arab press reports it endorsed continued strong ties to Iran and Hezbollah. (Times of Israel)

Israel is planning to build a new road in the occupied West Bank connected to thesensitive E1 project. (AFP/Ha'aretz)

An Israeli newspaper reports that the EU has told Israel if settlement construction continues, they may support Palestinian international legal efforts against it. (PNN)

The European Council of Ministers urges Israel to halt settlement construction and make gestures towards the Palestinians. (Jerusalem Post)

PM Netanyahu's cool response to the reiterated and improved Arab Peace Initiative raises doubts about his enthusiasm for an agreement. (AP)

Netanyahu calls on Pres. Abbas to "give peace a chance," and insists he is paying attention to the Arab Peace Initiative.  (Xinhua/Bloomberg)

The PA asks Israel to release 120 Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture. (Jerusalem Post)

Pres. Obama's nomination of Samantha Power for UN ambassador stirs controversy in Israel. (New York Times/YNet)

Palestinians mark the 46th anniversary of the 1967 war. (Xinhua)

As all his predecessors have always done, Obama again extends the presidential waiver on the proposed US Jerusalem Embassy to Israel. (Jerusalem Post)

Abbas reiterates there can be no peace agreement without Jerusalem serving as the Palestinian capital. (Jerusalem Post)

As the global demand for drones increases, Israel leads the market. (AP)

Israel seals off an area adjacent to the DMZ between Syria and the occupied Golan Heights as heavy fighting rages nearby. (Xinhua/Ha'aretz/Reuters)

Israeli occupation forces detain a prisoner's rights advocate in Nablus and a Hamas activist in Ramallah. (Ma'an)

Outgoing PM Fayyad signs an agreement with the Palestinian doctors' union. (Ma'an)

Many Gaza factions denounce the appointment of PM-designate Hamdallah. (Al Monitor)

Israel claims international labeling of settlement products would hurt the Palestinian economy. (Al Monitor)

Israel and the Vatican seem set to sign an agreement on several contentious properties. (Times of Israel)

A former US attorney is moving to the West Bank to help promote the rule of law in the Palestinian justice system. (Times of Israel)

COMMENTARY:

Haggai Matar says all Israelis are responsible for, and profit from, the occupation. (Ha'aretz)

Trudy Rubin says former PM Olmert's plan for peace is the most realistic. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Carlo Strenger says a key to Sec. Kerry's success could be getting Arab states to promote, and Israelis to understand, the Arab Peace Initiative. (Ha'aretz)

Elisheva Goldberg says it is Netanyahu who won't "give peace a chance." (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

Gershon Baskin agrees with Kerry that the window of opportunity for peace is short. (Jerusalem Post)

Aaron David Miller says Obama probably won't succeed in solving any long-standing conflicts, including the Israeli-Palestinian one. (Foreign Policy)

Chemi Shalev says Jewish-American groups will welcome the Susan Rice appointment but question that of Power. (Ha'aretz)

Alan Dershowitz thinks Power will be a fine UN ambassador. (Jerusalem Post)

The Jerusalem Post thinks the US should not have welcomed the appointment of Hamdallah. (Jerusalem Post)

Ha'aretz says it's outrageous Israel is increasing military funding to an NGO that promotes settlement of occupied East Jerusalem. (Ha'aretz)

Abra Cohen samples Palestinian culinary delights in the occupied West Bank. (The Forward)

Asmaa al-Ghoul says Hamas is continuing to experience a sharp decline in its relations with Hezbollah over Syria. (Al Monitor)

NEWS:

Palestinian PM-designate Hamdallah says he hopes to form a government in a week or so. (Reuters)

Israeli officials accuse Palestinians of being unwilling to resume negotiations. (AP)

Pres. Abbas says Palestinians want to return to talks "as soon as possible," and other Palestinian officials say they are "exerting every possible effort" to make that happen. (Ma'an)

Palestinian officials reportedly say Abbas has warned Sec. Kerry he will effectively dismantle the PA if peace talks are not successfully resumed. (Jerusalem Post/The Guardian)

Palestinians are calling attention to the issue of the strategic fort of Latrun, occupied by Israel in 1967. (New York Times)

Israel's AG asserts in court that the "Absentee Property Law" applies in occupied East Jerusalem and Palestinian property there can thereby be "lawfully" seized from its owners by the state. (Ha'aretz)

A new poll suggests 72% of Jewish Israelis see Jerusalem as a divided city, but 74% refuse any notion of a Palestinian capital in any part of it. (Jerusalem Post)

Israeli settlers complain to Israel's housing minister about what they assert is a "de facto settlement freeze." (Jerusalem Post)

Palestinian prisoners say Israel should formally recognize them as prisoners of war. (Xinhua)

A delegation of Jordanian Islamists visits Gaza. (Ma'an)

The EU contributes €19 million to help pay Palestinian public sector employees' May salaries. (PNN)

Reem Omran, a young high-tech entrepreneur, is trying to promote IT business and education in Gaza. (Christian Science Monitor)

Gaza youths are increasingly trying to flee harsh conditions by crossing into Israel. (Al Monitor)

The rebuilding of the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in Lebanon comes to standstill over funding shortfalls. (Daily Star)

COMMENTARY:

Thomas Friedman says regional instability makes peace with the Palestinians more, not less, important for Israel. (New York Times)

David Makovsky says Hamdallah's appointment is a victory for Fatah as a party in power. (WINEP)

Jonathan Schanzer says Hamdallah was chosen precisely because he is inexperienced and a political novice. (Foreign Policy)

Shlomi Eldar says Hamdallah's appointment might be aimed at drawing in more European involvement. (Al Monitor)

Amira Hass says the Ramallah leadership's most basic policies are unlikely to change under Hamdallah. (Ha'aretz)

Yitzhak Laor says, in order to succeed as a nation, Israel must end the occupation. (Ha'aretz)

The Jerusalem Post strongly implies Israel should retain control of all of Jerusalem. (Jerusalem Post)

Ron Kampeas says that while Kerry is appealing to both sides for progress, AIPAC puts all the onus on the Palestinians. (JTA)

Zvi Bar'el says lots of countries face major threats, but none of them talk about them as much as Israel does. (Ha'aretz)

Sarah Wildman says planned building in two Israeli settlements in occupied East Jerusalem could signal a flood of new settlement activity soon. (The New Yorker)

NEWS:

New PA PM Hamdallah is primarily known for expanding the University he headed, and for his career as a scholar . (Bloomberg/New York Times/WAFA)

His new government faces many challenges, and he is widely seen as a caretaker figure. (Xinhua/BBC/Washington Post)

Many experts wonder if Hamdallah can really fill the shoes left by former PM Fayyad. (Christian Science Monitor/Wall Street Journal/The Media Line)

Hamdallah says he will prioritize Palestinian reconciliation, but many Palestinians see little hope of that and express disappointment, apathy and skepticism. (Al Arabiya/Gulf News/Ha'aretz)

In remarks to the American Jewish Committee, Sec. Kerry says the coming days will be crucial in the prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace. (State Department/Ha'aretz/AP/Reuters)

Palestinians say the failure of Kerry's mission is "not an option" for them. (Ma'an)

Kerry may soon return to the Middle East for more peace efforts. (Reuters/Jerusalem Post)

Palestinians are asking an Israeli court to order the evacuation of the "Ulpana" settlement which is built on private Palestinian property. (Jerusalem Post)

Israeli occupation forces say they have foiled a "terror plot" by Hamas, and arrested eight Palestinians, in the occupied West Bank. (Xinhua/Ma'an)

The PA arrests a Bethlehem journalist on charges of spreading sectarian hatred and false information. (Ma'an)

A US government website publicizes classified information detailing the location, design and specifications of a launch site for Israel’s new Arrow 3 anti-ballistic missile system. (Times of Israel)

Hamas leaders reportedly confirm Iran has cut funding to the group in retaliation for differences over Syria. (The Daily Telegraph)

COMMENTARY:

ATFP issues a statement wishing Hamdallah success in meeting the PA's challenges and in performing the duties of his office. (ATFP)

Yossi Alpher says Hamdallah's appointment is a typical stopgap measure by Pres. Abbas. (APN)

AFP says Hamdallah may try to follow in  former PM Fayyad's footsteps, but could find that very difficult. (AFP)

Ibrahim Sharqiehsays Hamdallah's appointment represents a new opportunity for progress, but if the US and Israel treat him as they did Fayyad, it will be squandered. (Al Arabiya)

Khaled Abu Toameh says Hamdallah will probably prove merely a "yes man for Fatah." (Jerusalem Post)

Amos Harel says Fayyad was the only Mideast politician truly admired by IDF officials. (Ha'aretz)

Chemi Shalev says Kerry and Pres. Obama are contradicting the cliché that the US can't want peace more than the parties. (Ha'aretz)

Natan Sachs says Kerry's peace efforts lack Israeli and Palestinian buy-in. (Ha'aretz)

Jonathan Cook says Kerry's plan sets the Palestinians up for failure. (The National)

Akiva Eldar says the Palestinian leadership is more interested in establishing borders than in Kerry's proposed $4 billion economic stimulus. (Al Monitor)

Amnon Beeri-Sulitzeanu says Israel's Bedouin community is invisible when it comes to public services, but demonized as a public danger. (Ha'aretz)

Linah Alsaafin says Israeli settlers are intensifying violence against Palestinians. (Al Monitor)

Akram Atallah says Hamas is persisting in its aggressive efforts to "Islamize" Gaza. (Al-Ayyam)

NEWS:

Pres. Abbas appoints Rami Hamdallah, president of An-Najah University, as thenew PA Prime Minister. (New York Times/AP/LA Times)

The US welcomes the appointment. (PNN)

PM Hamdallah says most serving ministers will retain their posts in the cabinet. (Xinhua)

Hamas denounces the new PA government as "illegal." (Xinhua)

Sec. Kerry will reportedly visit Amman "within days" for further peace talks. (AFP)

American officials say Kerry and the US will drop peace initiatives if Israelis and Palestinians prove not to be serious about them. (Ha'aretz)

Germany may soon join other European countries in labeling all Israeli settlement products. (The Media Line)

Egypt says it will increase the number of Palestinians allowed to cross from Gaza from 800 to 1,100 per day. (Ma'an)

The PA says 2,000 Palestinians are in prison in Syria. (Ma'an)

Israeli authorities say they're planning to demolish two Palestinian homes in the flashpoint Silwan neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem. (Ma'an)

A Palestinian citizen of Israel is reportedly charged with handing information to Hezbollah. (Xinhua)

Israel has reached an agreement with an unidentified country to transfer thousands of African migrants. (AP)

Israel ranks number 10 in countries with the most millionaires. (Xinhua)

Israel now reportedly has an arsenal of at least 80 nuclear warheads. (Times of Israel)

Egypt deploys more military forces in Sinai in coordination with Israel. (Times of Israel)

Enthusiasm for Mohammed Assaf, widely expected to win this year's "Arab Idol" TV singing contest, continues to grow. (Christian Science Monitor)

COMMENTARY:

Barak Ravid calls PM Hamdallah "a good man on a suicide mission." (Ha'aretz)

The CSM says cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian businesspeople could be a breakthrough towards peace. (Christian Science Monitor)

Hani al-Masri says economic initiatives will not solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Al Monitor)

Amira Hass says the Jewish experience during the British mandate shows economies can be built under occupation, and the same can happen Palestinians if Israel lifts its restrictions. (Ha'aretz)

Ahmad Azem says Kerry's economic initiative ignores the need for Palestinian economic independence. (Al Monitor)

Hilik Bar says Israelis should stop saying there is "no Palestinian partner" for peace. (Jerusalem Post)

Ha'aretz says Israel must let Palestinian doctors work in Jerusalem hospitals. (Ha'aretz)

David Landau says Kerry's approach to peace is only strengthening hardliners on both sides. (Ha'aretz)

Ram Cohen says discriminatory policies at an Israeli amusement park are a reflection of the countries racist laws and policies. (YNet)

Lucy Aharish says segregation in Israel is endemic and racism is a major part of the national culture. (YNet)

Jeff Barak says the racism that is so deeply ingrained in Israeli culture is a major factor in what many believe is the demise of the two-state solution. (Jerusalem Post)

The Jerusalem Post says that because Israel is a "Jewish country" it can never have a complete separation between state and religion. (Jerusalem Post)

Adel Safty says Israel's bullying of its neighbors and abuse of Palestinians explains its international unpopularity. (Gulf News)

Ahmad Samih Khalidi says Israel and the Palestinians are looking at an open-ended struggle into the foreseeable future. (LSE)