News:
Chancellor Merkel meets with PM Netanyahu and both express hope [1] to advance peace talks. [2](Reuters/Xinhua)
Merkel says Germany is obliged to follow EU guidelines on the labelling of goods [3] produced in Israeli settlements. [4] (Ha’aretz/The Jerusalem Post)
The Palestinian presidency says Jordan is not an alternative homeland [5] for the Palestinians. (Xinhua)
Israeli occupation forces [6] storm Jerusalem’s Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount [7] to disperse a protest [8], arresting three Palestinians. [9] (AP/Xinhua/Ma’an/Ha’aretz)
Israeli warplanes [10] reportedly launch two raids [11] near the Lebanese-Syrian border. [12] (AP/The New York Times/Ha’aretz)
Netanyahu refuses to say [13] whether Israel carried out the airstrikes. [14] (AP/The Jerusalem Post)
Sec. Kerry and Treasury Sec. Lew will speak at the annual AIPAC conference. [15] (JTA)
Fatah is still waiting on an answer from Hamas regarding a recent proposal for national reconciliation. [16] (Ma’an)
An Israeli right wing group starts an “anti-Jewish state” campaign. [17] (The Jerusalem Post)
Israel passes a bill to distinguish between Muslim and Christian Arab citizens [18] for purposes of employment. (Ha’aretz)
Hamas allegedly planned to bomb [19] a major route linking Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. ( The Times of Israel)
UNRWA says Palestinians in the Yarmouk camp in Syria are “traumatized.” [20] (AP)
The Syrian war stirs a new US debate [21] on cyberattacks.(The New York Times)
The leader of the Nusra Front in Syria gives ISIS an ultimatum. [22] (Reuters)
Anger is spreading through Lebanon’s Sunni community [23] toward the country’s military. (AP)
Iran signs a deal [24] to sell Iraq arms and munitions worth $195 million. [25] (Reuters/The National)
Pres. Mansour asks Housing Minister Mahlab [26] to form a new Egyptian government. [27] (Xinhua/AFP)
Seven Egyptians are found dead [28] in Libya. (The New York Times)
Kuwait launches a bid to end a standoff between Egypt and Qatar [29] ahead of the Arab Summit. (Gulf News)
The Turkish opposition demands an investigation [30] into PM Erdogan for alleged corruption. (AP)
Commentary:
Raanan Eliaz [31] says Israel’s challenge is to work closely with the emerging German political generation. (Ha’aretz)
Simon Shiffer [32] says Israel cannot deny the Germans the right to criticize its behavior towards the Palestinians. (Ynet)
Willem-Gert Aldershoff and Michel Waelbroeck [33] say EU settlement guidelines do not constitute a boycott of Israel. (Ha’aretz)
The Jordan Times [34] says King Abdullah is angry about rumors that Jordan will be a homeland for the Palestinians. (The Jordan Times)
Hassan Barari [35] says Jordanian political forces will not stop talking about the “alternative homeland for the Palestinian people” due to parochial interests (The Jordan Times)
Jonathan Cook [36] accuses Israelis of living in a “large bubble of denial.”(The National)
Cesar Chelala [37] says Israel’s treatment of Palestinian children undermines its democratic principles and continues to perpetuate the Arab-Israeli conflict. (The Daily Star)
Ha’aretz [38]says Economy Minister’s Bennett obsession is to turn the Arab population in Israel into second-class citizens. (Ha’aretz)
Beth Kissileff [39] says its up to US Jews to make more of an effort to understand Jewish identity in Israel. (Ha’aretz)
Doyle McManus [40] says Pres. Obama may soon face a turning point in Syria. (The Los Angeles Times)
HA Hellyer [41] says all journalists in Egypt should be freed. (Al Arabiya)
Peter Jenkins [42] says US-Iranian nuclear negotiations are finally dealing with facts, instead of assumptions. (The Daily Star)
Faisal Al Yafai [43] says the Arab world’s concern over Iran’s nuclear programme is a symptom, not the cause, of the regional distrust of Iranian intentions. (The National)
Dennis Blair and Michael Hagee [44] say if the US is to remain prosperous and secure, more significant progress should be made toward ending its oil dependence (The New York Times)
Richard Cohen [45] says as the world is looking for guidance not only does the US refuse to be its “policemen” but will not be its ”hall monitor.” (The Washington Post)
Hussein Ibish [46] says Russia is an unacceptable ally for the Arabs. (Now Media)
The Los Angeles Times [47] says Qatar’s World Cup preparations should not include abusing its workers. (The Los Angeles Times)
The National [48] says Iraq’s arms deal with Iran has political repercussions far beyond its monetary value. (The National)
Elif Shafak [49] says the “tempest of fear” in Turkey is reflected through the recent proliferation of conspiracy theories. (The New York Times)
Dalia Ghanem-Yazbeck [50] says Algeria’s upcoming elections demonstrate the steady decline of Islamist parties. (The Daily Star)
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