News:

Hamas allegedly notifies Pres. Abbas it's willing to join a unity government in preparation for new elections. (Ma'an)

A new poll shows a small majority of Palestinians opposed to resumed negotiations with Israel andbelieve they are dead. (Palestinian Center For Public Opinion/Ma'an/Jerusalem Post)  

Palestinian officials say the US is pressuring them to recognize Israel as a "Jewish state." (Ha'aretz)

UN officials say settlement activity cannot be reconciled with a two-state solution. (PNN) 

The EU warns Israel not to announce more settlement activity after the next round of prisoner release. (AP/Ha'aretz)

The US welcomes a pledged EU aid package for Israel and the Palestinians in the case of peace. (Xinhua) 

Israel allows more truckloads of goods into Gaza. (Xinhua) 

Quartet Envoy Tony Blair expresses deep concern about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. (PNN) 

Israeli occupation forces storm a village near Bethlehem and conduct a widescale military drill. (Ma'an)

Palestinians who served time for "security-related offenses" are banned from a nature reserve in the occupied West Bank. (Ha'aretz)

Israel and Lebanon try to defuse tensions after a deadly border incident. (New York Times/AP/Los Angeles Times/Christian Science Monitor) 

Israel mulls its options since it believes a lone, rogue Lebanese soldier was at fault. (Ha'aretz/Jerusalem Post)

A car bomb attack targets a Hezbollah military base in eastern Lebanon. (AP/Reuters) 

The US reaffirms to Israel its determination to stop Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon. (Xinhua) 

The boycott vote against Israel by the American Studies Association is a stinging but largely symbolic rebuke. (New York Times)

Now that a forced mass relocation plan has been shelved, Bedouins in Israel are demanding recognition. (The Forward) 

African migrants in Israel protest their prolonged detentions. (AP/YNet/Jerusalem Post)

Activists say Syrian government warplanes have bombed Aleppo again, killing 13. (AP) 

The UN says the next Syrian conflict "peace conference" will begin on January 22 in Montreux. (AP) 

Lacking funding and supplies, more moderate Syrian opposition fighters are defecting to anti-western militias. (Christian Science Monitor) 

There are now 3.1 million Syrian refugees in Jordan, 842,000 in Lebanon, and approaching 1.5 million in Turkey. (Xinhua) 

Freezing children are starving to death in Syria as aid can’t reach them. (Reuters) 

Egyptian state TV says a bomb has exploded near a school in Cairo without causing any injuries. (AP) 

The Egyptian government apologizes for a badly botched Constitution banner. (Reuters/Los Angeles Times) 

A homemade bomb wounds two police officers in Bahrain. (AP) 

A senior Iranian official insists a full nuclear agreement is achievable. (AP) 

Saudi Arabia passes a new law cracking down on dissent and defamation. (AP) 

65 people are killed in Iraq in the bloodiest day of violence there in two months. (AP) 

A Tunisian rapper questions what has been gained by the Arab uprisings. (BBC)

BP signs of $16 billion deal to develop Oman's shale gas reserves. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Commentary:

Hassan Barari says no Palestinian leadership can accept an Israeli military presence in an independent Palestinian state. (Jordan Times) 

Rasha Abou Jalal says winter storms are causing a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. (Al Monitor) 

The National says the people of Gaza are suffering while Hamas has no focus. (The National) 

Maysoon Zayid says the new Palestinian movie "Omar" is a stark representation of the realities of occupation. (Daily Beast/Open Zion) 

Hilik Bar says, despite conventional wisdom, there are reasons to hope PM Netanyahu can be a peacemaker. (Jerusalem Post)

Akiva Eldar says Netanyahu has to find a way to keep negotiations with the Palestinians from collapsing. (Al Monitor) 

Sefi Rachlevsky says even if Netanyahu "pretends to be on the brink" of an agreement with the Palestinians, he should never be saved by the Israeli center-left. (Ha'aretz)

Ha'aretz says the bill targeting liberal Israeli NGOs shouldn't be softened, it should be struck down. (Ha'aretz) 

David Horovitz interviews new Labor Party leader Herzog. (Times of Israel) 

Chemi Shalev describes a "pro-Israel" discussion in New York that ended in walkout, insults and recriminations. (Ha'aretz)

Arie Hasit says banning controversial speakers contradicts Hillel's mission. (Ha'aretz)

Jay Michaelson asks if the Israel of today is becoming the South Africa of the 1980s. (The Forward) 

Alan Dershowitz says the ASA Israel boycott vote was a "victory for bigotry." (Ha'aretz) 

Chemi Shalev says the ASA boycott could spark Israel-centered brawls at campuses across the US. (Ha'aretz)

The Jerusalem Post says Israel must remain vigilant along the Lebanese border. (Jerusalem Post) 

Fayez Sara says both Syrian Pres. Assad and the "jihadists" are dangerous extremists. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Fawaz Gerges says Saudi Arabia and Iran must end its "proxy war" in Syria. (Gulf News)

Doyle McManus calls US policy towards Syria "feeble." (Los Angeles Times)

Cengiz Çandar says both the US and Turkey are rethinking their Syria policies. (Al Monitor) 

John Hudson says the US is considering closer ties to "hard-line Islamists" in Syria. (Foreign Policy) 

Michael Glackin says the West has abandoned its allies in Syria. (The Daily Star) 

The CSM says American empathy for Syrian suffering is about to be tested again during a tough winter. (Christian Science Monitor) 

Lyse Doucet looks at the struggle of Syrians for the most basic staples such as bread. (BBC) 

Brian Klaas and Jason Pack say Tunisia remains the best hope for Arab democracy. (Los Angeles Times) 

Iscandar Mamari says US drone strikes are infuriating the people of Yemen. (The Media Line) 

Christian Emery says Iran's leaders face significant hard-line opposition to a nuclear deal with the West. (Asharq Al Awsat) 

Bernard Haykel and Daniel Kurtzer say Israel and Saudi Arabia have very different concerns regarding Iran. (The Daily Star)