News:

Israeli DM Ya’alon apologizes for his harsh remarks about Sec. Kerry’s peacemaking efforts. (Haaretz/Xinhua)

Kerry says he will not let criticism of his Middle East peace efforts to deter him. (Reuters)

A senior Palestinian official says the PLO may resume efforts to join more international organizations if peace talks fail. (Xinhua)

Suspected Jewish settler extremists spray racist graffiti and torch a mosque in the occupied West Bank. (AP/Xinhua/Ma’an)

The UN says the annual rate of Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians has almost quadrupled. (AP)

Hamas continues training youth in military techniques. (New York Times)

Israeli military vehicles enter a border area in Southern Gaza. (Ma’an)

Israel agrees to free two Palestinian Jerusalemites on the condition that they be deported. (Ma’an)

Kerry says Palestinian refugees in Syria are "dying of malnutrition," and calls on the Assad regimeto let humanitarian assistance to enter the besieged Yarmouk camp. (State Department)

The US pledges $380 million and Kuwait $500 million for additional humanitarian aid to Syria. (AP/Reuters)

Egyptians vote on the second and final day of a referendum on the country’s new constitution. (AP)

King Abdullah of Jordan discusses with Iranian FM Zarif the latest developments in Syria and progress on Middle East peace. (Xinhua)

Bomb attacks kill at least 59 people in Iraq. (Reuters)

Turkish Pres. Gul urges his own government to readjust its Syria policy. (Xinhua)

The opening of the Hariri trial in the Hague threatens more turmoil for Lebanon. (The National)

Tunisians celebrate the third anniversary of their uprising. (AFP)

UAE PM Sheikh Mohammed launches a seven year national plan. (Xinhua) 

Commentary:

Doyle McManus compares Sec. Kerry’s focus on three of the most tangled problems in peace talks to riding a bicycle. (Los Angeles Times)

Hasan Abu Nimah says the Israeli intransigence on peace talks is a “safety valve against [Kerry’s] bad deal.” 

Oudeh Basharat says that some Palestinian citizens of Israel will be ready to relocate to Palestine upon independence. (Ha'aretz)

Chemi Shalev says Ya’alon is risking being declared as declared persona non grata by the US.

David Horovitz says that Ya’alon comments make it certain that Israel rather than the Palestinians will be held responsible if Kerry’s peace efforts collapse. (Times of Israel)

Brent Sasley says Israel must acknowledge its part in the Palestinian Nakba in exchange for Palestinian acceptance of Israel as a “Jewish state.” (Ha’aretz)

Ha’aretz says Israel’s “apartheid legal system” has gotten worse after a new military court decision that denies Palestinians the right of appeal. (Ha’aretz)

Aluf Benn attributes the late PM Sharon’s perceived flexibility on Jewish settlements to his lack of ideology. (Ha'aretz) 

Chibli Mallat says Saddam Hussein saved Sharon through failed lawsuits in Belgium. (The Daily Star)

Ali Ibrahim says endorsing the new Egyptian constitution will herald the “second republic.” (Asharq Al Awsat)

Diana Moukalled says “fanaticism and fear” are spreading in Egypt and Kuwait. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Micah Halpern says Iran may be winning on the diplomatic front against the West but is losing the battle against modern culture. (The Daily Star) 

David Ignatius says only Pres. Obama’s can fix his administration’s broken foreign policy. (The Daily Star)

J.J. Goldberg says that the debate over the Menendez-Kirk Iran sanctions bill is getting uglier within the Jewish community. (The Jewish Daily Forward)

The Gulf News says the Syrian opposition should attend the Geneva II talks. (The Gulf News)

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