News:

Pres. Obama will meet with PM Netanyahu today to discuss peace talks and Iran. (AP/Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post/Reuters)

The extension of the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations will depend on the meeting between Obama and Pres. Abbas.(Ma’an)

The US is reportedly pessimistic that a framework agreement can be reached by the end of March. (Ha’aretz)

A Palestinian official says Israel must meet certain demands for peace talks to be extended. (XInhua)

Chief Palestinian negotiator Erakat accuses Israel of “propping up Hamas in Gaza.” (Times of Israel)

US Treasury Secretary Lew defends the Iran Interim deal in a speech before AIPAC. (Jerusalem Post)

Egypt keeps the Rafah crossing closed for the past 23 days. (Xinhua)

Hamas urges Egypt to resume commercial cooperation with Gaza. (Xinhua)

Palestinians consider who should succeed Abbas. (Financial Times)

Former Fatah leader Dahlan reportedly hopes to replace Abbas. (Ynet)

Extremist settlers uproot 180 olive tree saplings in the occupied West Bank. (Ma’an)

The settler group “Elad” is closer to controlling the Western Wall, despite objections among Israelis. (Ha’aretz)

The Israeli Medical Association says forcing hunger strikers to eat is “tantamount to torture.” (Ha’aretz)

Israel is planning to lower the volume levels of microphones in all mosques in occupied East Jerusalem. (Gulf News)

The Palestinian poet “Abu Arab” dies at 83. (Ma’an)

Israel is reportedly buying information on extremists from Syrian rebel groups. (National)

UNRWA says the latest clashes in Yarmouk have disrupted efforts to distribute aid. (AP)

In Syria, the government is looking for local and temporary ceasefires. (AP)

A pro-Hezbollah song highlights tensions over the civil war in Syria. (The New York Times)

The new Egyptian government is sworn in ahead of the presidential elections. (AP)

PM Mehlib calls for an end to protests in Egypt. (AP)

The IAEA says Iran has cuts its higher enriched uranium stock. (AP/Reuters)

Commentary:

ATFP Pres. Ziad Asali says “losing Egypt” should not be considered an option for the US. (Asharq al-Awsat)

Hussein Ibish says nationalism is the real reason Islamists are losing in North Africa and beyond. (The National)

Amal Mousa says the Salafists have emerged victorious due to the collapse of the Muslim Brotherhood. (Asharq al-Awsat)

Amer al Sabaileh says Jordan is still a haven of safety and stability in a chaotic region. (Jordan Times)

Abdullah Ali says Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood is feeling the pressures of regional changes. (The National)

Oudeh Basharat says “Jordanians are a light unto the nations” for taking in so many refugees. (Ha’aretz)

Jeffrey Goldberg interviews Obama on the peace process. (Bloomberg)

David Horovitz says Goldberg’s interview with Obama is “a bombshell battering” for Netanyahu. (Times of Israel)

Ha’aretz says Netanyahu must understand that the White House is “not an enemy but a partner.”(Ha’aretz)

Rami Khouri asks what’s behind the “Jewish State” demand. (Daily Star)

Shibley Telhami says a survey indicates that if the two-state solution collapses, Americans favor democracy over a  “Jewish state.”(Foreign Policy)

Gershon Baskin says annexing the West Bank would be a “catastrophic plan” for the Jewish people. (Jerusalem Post)

Lara Friedman and Daniel Gordis debate whether settlement boycotts are best for Israel. (New York Times)

Gideon Levy says Israelis refuse to acknowledge what Amnesty International has demonstrated about the occupation. (Ha’aretz)

Bakir Oweida says a Geneva III meeting is bound to fail.(Al Arabiya)