News:
Pres. Abbas calls Russia [1] a major player in the peace process. (Xinhua)
Pres. Peres says PM Netanyahu’s insistence on the recognition [2]of Israel as a “Jewish state” is “unnecessary.” [3](Ha’aretz/AFP)
Palestinians denounce Israeli plans to build new [4]settlements near Jerusalem. (Xinhua)
Israel says it arrested three Palestinian Al-Qaeda recruits accused of plotting to attack [5]the US embassy in Tel Aviv. (Ha’aretz)
An Israeli airstrike [6] kills two Gaza militants [7]. (AP/Xinhua)
Extremist settlers uproot over 600 olive trees [8] in a village north of Ramallah. (Ma’an)
Israeli occupation forces injure two [9]Palestinians after clashes with settlers. (Ma’an)
UNESCO says it's delaying [10] for another six months an exhibit on the Jewish connections to the Holy Land. (AP)
The Syrian peace talks begin [11] with major disputes over the future of Pres. Assad [12]. (AP/New York Times)
Sec. Kerry says Assad will not be part of any [13] transitional government in Syria. (The State Department)
Pres. Rouhani says hopes are slim [14] for the Syria peace talks. (AP)
Violent clashes erupt [15] in different parts of Syria as peace talks begin. (AP)
The Aleppo airport reopens [16] after one year of closure. (AFP)
Jordan arrests [17] five arm smugglers [18] coming from Syria. (AP/The Jordan Times)
The UN is concerned about escalating terrorist attacks [19] in Lebanon. (Xinhua)
The Iraqi government will create three new provinces [20] in an attempt to address Sunni grievances. (AP)
An Egyptian court sentences three activists [21]to two years each for vandalizing a state memorial. (AP)
Members of Bahrain’s political opposition [22] are holding talks with the government. (AP)
The Turkish government dismisses [23] another 470 police officers. (Xinhua)
Commentary:
Peter Beinart [24] says the only person who can legitimately claim to speak for Jewish Americans on the subject of Iran is Pres. Obama. (Ha’aretz)
Naomi Sheffer and Gabi Sheffer [25] say that the IDF has instituted a military dictatorship in the occupied West Bank. (Ha’aretz)
Matthew Hays [26] says many Canadians feel uncomfortable about PM Harper’s visit to Israel. (Ha’aretz)
Anne-Marie Slaughter [27] says Obama must put the threat of force against Assad on the table in Geneva II. (The Daily Star)
The New York Times [28] says the Geneva II talks must at least achieve a cease-fire and allow for the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the civilians. (The New York Times)
Frederic Hof [29]says Geneva II talks will be meaningless without a cease-fire. (The Gulf News)
Tom Friedman [30] says Syria is a "potential human/ecological disaster zone," and that Iran and Saudi Arabia should help build the country, not destroy it. (The New York Times)
The LA Times [31] says the Geneva II conference could help to stop the killing, speed humanitarian assistance, and lay the groundwork for a political transition. (Los Angeles Times)
The National [32]says Russia and Iran must stop supporting the “crazy person” of Syria. (The National)
The Jordan Times [33] says the Geneva II talks are doomed to failure without Iranian participation. (The Jordan Times)
Joshua Cohen [34]says the presence of western intelligence agencies cooperating with the Assad regime demonstrates how messy the Syrian conflict has become. (The Times of Israel)
Marwan Muasher [35] says the struggle for pluralism in the Arab world is worth waging and winning. (Foreign Policy)
Jed Ober [36] says if the Egyptian interim government wants democracy then its time to give its people the rights that make democracy reality. (Foreign Policy)
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