News:

Israel's current DM approved 3,000 new settler homes in the occupied territories in his first four months in office.(Ha'aretz)

Palestinian and Israeli negotiators reportedly met last week despite purported resignations. (Ma'an)

A leading Labor Party MK says he was "surprised" by Pres. Abbas' "practical" stance on security questions. (Jerusalem Post)

FM Lieberman will meet Sec. Kerry for the first time since his reinstatement. (Ha'aretz)

Jewish activists are increasingly demanding access to what are now Muslim holy sites in occupied East Jerusalem. (Washington Post)

An new Dutch government business initiative includes Israeli companies in the occupied West Bank. (Ha'aretz)

Israeli occupation forces arrested 110 Palestinians in Hebron in November. (Ma'an)

Israeli occupation forces demolish water wells and tents in the Jordan Valley. (Ma'an)

Israel will allow construction materials into Gaza, but only under the auspices of international aid programs. (Ha'aretz)

CNN looks at the complexities of Palestinians doing business in the occupied West Bank. (CNN)

Amnesty International demands Israel "immediately" lift the Gaza blockade. (Ma'an)

Palestinians share their checkpoint frustrations on Facebook. (Christian Science Monitor)

Hundreds of Israeli settlers escorted by Israeli troops visit "Joseph's Tomb." (Ma'an)

PA security forces defend the recent crackdown against fugitives. (Ma'an)

Islamic Jihad accuses the PA of "collusion" with Israel. (Al Monitor)

A Palestinian investigator says he is about to release names of those he believes were involved in the purported assassination of the late Pres. Arafat. (Reuters)

The new polls suggest a majority of Israelis distrust the Iran nuclear deal. (AP)

The US rejects Israeli criticism of the Iran nuclear deal, but finds it "frustrating." (Ha'aretz)

"Colorful" diminutive names, like Bibi, dominate Israeli politics. (AP)

Rock star Roger Waters defends his use of religious symbols in performances critical of Israeli occupation policies. (AP)

Outgoing New York Mayor Bloomberg is dedicating his $1M Genesis Prize to boosting Israeli-Palestinian trade. (The Forward)

Artisanal Palestinian beer making in the occupied territories continues to develop. (The Media Line)

Turkey and Iran appeared to be coordinating more closely on Syria. (Ha'aretz)

The top UN official links Pres. al-Assad to war crimes in Syria. (New York Times)

Syrian army airstrikes kill at least 15 near Aleppo. (AP)

12 nuns are reportedly abducted by Syrian rebels. (AP)

State media says a suicide bombing in Damascus has killed four Syrians. (Reuters/Xinhua)

The UN said it said it fed 3.4 million Syrians last month but many were still out of reach. (Reuters)

Egypt says former Pres. Morsi is being investigated for ties to extremists and Sinai insurgents. (AP)

A noted Egyptian blogger has been arrested in an ongoing crackdown against dissent. (Reuters/Los Angeles Times)

Protests in Egypt seem to be intensifying. (Al Monitor)

Egypt's best known satirical poet, Ahmed Fouad Negm, has died at 84. (AP)

Libya begins voter registration for constituent assembly elections. (Xinhua)


Commentary:

Hussein Ibish argues ATFP has shown how to talk to Israel and its friends with mutual respect and dignity. (NOW)

Ibrahim Sharqieh asks if the Iran deal can be a template for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. (Brookings)

Avi Issacharoff says Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are barely limping along. (Times of Israel)

Matthew Kalman profiles efforts by Yosef Jabareen to aid Palestinian students in Israel. (Chronicle of Higher Education)

David Landau says, if he wants to invoke them, PM Netanyahu should learn from the Maccabees how to deal with the superpower of the moment. (Ha'aretz)

Ron Ben-Yishai says Israel fears Pres. Obama is leading the Middle East towards catastrophe, especially regarding Iran. (YNet)

Michael Sfard says settlers are carrying out "an unending pogrom" against Palestinians in the occupied territories. (Ha'aretz)

The Jerusalem Post says Palestinian should stop complaining about Israeli settlement activity. (Jerusalem Post)

Meirav Arlosoroff argues Israel's Bedouin should see their forced mass relocation as an opportunity. (Ha'aretz)

Haviv Rettig Gur says the forced Bedouin relocation is more complicated than it first seems. (Times of Israel)

Shlomi Eldar says Israel should just stop the forced Bedouin mass relocation project. (Al Monitor)

Rasha Abou Jalal says Turkish culture is becoming more popular in Gaza. (Al Monitor)

David Ignatius says the Syrian people face two enemies: the Assad dictatorship and Al Qaeda. (Washington Post)

Ariel Ben Solomon says Syrian peace talks are doomed before they even begin. (Jerusalem Post)

The Daily Star says Iran's Arab Gulf neighbors need to be very cautious henceforth. (The Daily Star)

Malik Al-Abdeh says Syria's Muslim Brotherhood is doomed to repeat past errors. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Diana Moukalled says the sentencing of 14 young Egyptian girls to long prison sentences was an injustice. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Ali Salem insists Egypt did, in fact, experience a revolution against Mubarak. (Asharq Al Awsat)

The Times of Israel interviews Simon Sebag Montefiore about Jerusalem. (Times of Israel)