News:
Israeli lawmakers tell US Amb. to Israel Shapiro that Sec. Kerry is “coercing” Israel [1] into a terrible deal. [2] (Ha’aretz/Ynet)
A Palestinian official claims Israel is excluding the Al-Aqsa mosque [3] from the peace talks. (Xinhua)
A Knesset debate on Israeli sovereignty of the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount sets off intense criticism in the Arab world. [4](The Times of Israel)
Jordanian MPs [5] vote unanimously [6] to expel the Israeli Ambassador [7]. (AP/Ma’an/The Jordan Times)
Russian Duma Chair Naryshkin tells Pres. Peres Russia is keen to see a “satisfactory conclusion” [8] to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (The Jerusalem Post)
Today is the anniversary of the massacre of 29 Palestinians [9] in a mosque in Hebron. [10] (AFP/Ha’aretz)
PLO official Ashrawi denounces an Israeli bill [11] that distinguishes between Muslim and Christian Palestinian citizens of Israel. (PNN)
Israeli occupation forces detain nine Palestinian men [12] in Hebron. (Ma’an)
Gazans see solar power [13] as the only alternative to their energy crisis. (AFP)
Hezbollah calls on all Palestinians to protect Jerusalem [14] and the Haram al-Sharif from the “Zionist enemy.” (The Jerusalem Post)
Hezbollah [15] says Israel bombed one of its positions [16] near the Syrian border, and vows to retaliate. [17](AP/Reuters/The Washington Post)
The UN urges all sides to exercise restraint [18] to avoid escalating tension in Lebanon. (Xinhua)
The UN says Syrians are now the world’s largest refugee population [19]. (Reuters)
The Syrian army [20] claims to have killed 175 al-Qaeda linked rebels. [21] (AP/The Times of Israel)
FM Davutoglu says Syria’s worsening war now poses a danger to all countries. [22] (Reuters)
Russia warns Saudi Arabia against supplying Syrian rebels with shoulder-launched missiles. [23] (AFP)
Gen. Sisi will keep his post as DM [24] in the new Egyptian government [25] formed by PM Mehlib.(Reuters/The New York Times)
Another explosion hits Egypt’s gas pipeline [26] in Sinai. (AP)
An Egyptian court sentences 26 people over allegations of forming a terrorist group [27] and targeting the Suez Canal. (AP)
The Iraqi government denies it has an arms deal [28] with Iran. (Xinhua)
11 people are killed across Iraq. [29] (Xinhua)
PM Erdogan is investigated for corruption. [30] (AP)
Iranian robots remind children to say their daily prayers in schools. [31] (The National)
Commentary:
Rami Khouri [32] says Palestinians desperately need to strengthen their hand in peace talks. (The Daily Star)
Chris Doyle [33] says there can be no peace without taking into consideration the status of Hebron. (Al Arabiya)
Ha’aretz [34] says Israel’s distinguishing between Christian and Muslim Arab citizens is racist. (Ha’aretz)
Ben Sales [35] says PM Netanyahu may have to choose between the majority of the Knesset and the majority of his own party. (JTA)
Kenneth Marcus [36] outlines ten ways that BDS is different now. (The Jerusalem Post)
Carolina Landsmann [37] says that boycotts are compelling wealthy Israelis to press Netanyahu to cut a deal with the Palestinians. (Ha’aretz)
Peter Beinart [38] says orthodox Jewish institutions cannot be truly open if they are closed to Palestinians. (Ha’aretz)
Sheerly Avni interviews Palestinian Oscar-nominated director Hany Abu-Assad [39]. (The Jewish Daily Forward)
Michael Ignatieff [40] says the only remaining option in Syria is to use military force to deny Pres. Assad’s air superiority. (The New York Times)
Osama Al Sharif [41]says Russia’s apparent defeat in Ukraine will affect its policies in Syria. (The Jordan Times)
Abdallah Schleifer [42] says the failure of the interim government is of greater importance to Egyptians than the “over-zealousness of the security forces.” (Al Arabiya)
The Gulf News [43] says the resignation of the entire Egyptian government will make it easy for Sisi to run for President. (Gulf News)
Octavia Nasr [44] tells Lebanese lawmakers to make it a priority to protect women. (Al Arabiya)
Thomas Friedman [45] says the Cold War is not back and today’s geopolitics are more interesting than that. (The New York Times)
Michael Young [46] says the appointment of Rob Malley to the NSC has overly raised expectations in Pres. Obama’s Middle East policy. (The National)
Abraham Sofaer [47] says, while pursuing nuclear talks, the US should pressure Iranian hardliners without hurting the people. (The New York Times)
S. Frederick Starr [48] says the US should look to countries in Central Asia as examples of moderate Islam. (The New York Times)
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