News:
The State of Palestine becomes an ICC observer. (New York Times/Ma’an/JTA/Times of Israel)
A poll suggests 83% of Palestinians support trying to file charges at the ICC against Israeli leaders or officials. (PNN)
Amnesty International accuses Israel of committing war crimes during the Gaza war, but Israel calls the report “decontextualized.” (AFP/Jerusalem Post/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)
PM Netanyahu accuses Pres. Abbas of promoting “impossible fantasies” and taking “maximalist positions.” (Times of Israel)
Israel issues demolition orders for residential homes and commercial stores in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ma’an)
Jewish extremist settlers stab a Palestinian teenager in the occupied West Bank. (PNN)
An Egyptian official says the military has destroyed 60 tunnels along the Gaza border since Oct. 28. (Ma’an)
Netanyahu promises Israelis he will lower the cost of living if elected. (Reuters)
DM Ya’alon hints at further Israeli airstrikes in Syria and warns strikes anyone who arms“our enemies.” (Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post)
The World Food Program is restarting food aid for 1.7 million Syrian refugees. (AP/Reuters/New York Times)
UN Syria Envoy de Mistura denies a proposed Aleppo peace plan would benefit Pres. Assad. (Reuters)
Al-Qaeda denounces ISIS’ practice of beheadings. (New York Times)
PM al-Abadi asks the US for more airpower and weaponry against ISIS. (AP/Reuters)
An Egyptian activist Ahmed Douma is sentenced to three years in jail for insulting a court. (Reuters)
Senior officials from the Gulf states are arriving in Doha for a GCC summit. (AP/The National)
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia reshuffles his cabinet amid falling oil prices and the ISIS threat. (The National)
Commentary:
Jonathan Schanzer and Grant Rumley say one of Hamas’ most “dangerous operatives” seems to have found a “comfortable new home” in Turkey. (Foreign Policy)
Akiva Eldar says the US must encourage Israeli voters to seek an end to the conflict with the Palestinians. (Al-Monitor)
Seth Lipsky asks what former Sec. Clinton thinks about Netanyahu and America’s Israel policy. (Ha’aretz)
Uri Misgav says Labor leader Herzog will replace Netanyahu. (Ha’aretz)
Ben Dror-Yemeni says Israeli Justice Minister Livni and Herzog must meet in the political center. (Ynet)
Shmuel Rosner says Netanyahu hasn't accomplished much, but that's not necessarily his fault. (New York Times)
Diana Moukalled says Facebook is once again a mirror of Israel’s state of mind. (Asharq al-Awsat)
Carol Giacomo says in the face of the brutal Syrian civil war, many powerful states have not resettled a single refugee. (New York Times)
The Daily Star says Syrian officials fail to acknowledge that Syria lost control of its borders long ago. (Daily Star)
The Jordan Times says there is a pressing need for a regional conference to re-educate Muslims on the “true values” of Islam. (Jordan Times)
The Washington Post calls for the release of American-Iranian journalist Jason Rezaian. (Washington Post)