NEWS:
Palestinian PM-designate Hamdallah says he hopes to form a government in a week [1] or so. (Reuters)
Israeli officials accuse Palestinians [2] of being unwilling to resume negotiations. (AP)
Pres. Abbas says Palestinians want to return to talks "as soon as possible," [3] and other Palestinian officials say they are "exerting every possible effort" [4] to make that happen. (Ma'an)
Palestinian officials reportedly say Abbas has warned Sec. Kerry [5] he will effectively dismantle the PA [6] if peace talks are not successfully resumed. (Jerusalem Post/The Guardian)
Palestinians are calling attention to the issue of the strategic fort of Latrun [7], occupied by Israel in 1967. (New York Times)
Israel's AG asserts in court that the "Absentee Property Law" [8] 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 [9] 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." [10] (Jerusalem Post)
Palestinian prisoners say Israel should formally recognize them as prisoners of war [11]. (Xinhua)
A delegation of Jordanian Islamists visits Gaza [12]. (Ma'an)
The EU contributes €19 million [13] 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 [14]. (Christian Science Monitor)
Gaza youths are increasingly trying to flee harsh conditions by crossing into Israel [15]. (Al Monitor)
The rebuilding of the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in Lebanon comes to standstill over funding shortfalls [16]. (Daily Star)
COMMENTARY:
Thomas Friedman [17] says regional instability makes peace with the Palestinians more, not less, important for Israel. (New York Times)
David Makovsky [18] says Hamdallah's appointment is a victory for Fatah as a party in power. (WINEP)
Jonathan Schanzer [19] says Hamdallah was chosen precisely because he is inexperienced and a political novice. (Foreign Policy)
Shlomi Eldar [20] says Hamdallah's appointment might be aimed at drawing in more European involvement. (Al Monitor)
Amira Hass [21] says the Ramallah leadership's most basic policies are unlikely to change under Hamdallah. (Ha'aretz)
Yitzhak Laor [22] says, in order to succeed as a nation, Israel must end the occupation. (Ha'aretz)
The Jerusalem Post [23] strongly implies Israel should retain control of all of Jerusalem. (Jerusalem Post)
Ron Kampeas [24] says that while Kerry is appealing to both sides for progress, AIPAC puts all the onus on the Palestinians. (JTA)
Zvi Bar'el [25] says lots of countries face major threats, but none of them talk about them as much as Israel does. (Ha'aretz)
Sarah Wildman [26] says planned building in two Israeli settlements in occupied East Jerusalem could signal a flood of new settlement activity soon. (The New Yorker)
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