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News:

Sec. Kerry meets with PM Netanyahu in Davos to discuss peace talks. (AP/Ha’aretz)

Palestinian security officials dismiss Israel’s claim of dismantling an Al-Qaida plot. (AP)

Pres. Peres says Israel does not want to wage a war with Iran. (Xinhua)

Israeli police prevent Palestinians from protesting in East Jerusalem. (Ma’an)

Israeli occupation forces arrest a Palestinian police officer. (Ma’an)

Extremist settlers assault two Palestinians in a village near Hebron. (PNN)

Syria issues an ultimatum to a UN mediator, vowing to leave if “serious talks” do not begin. (AP/The New York Times/The Washington Post)

Kerry calls Pres. Assad a “one-man super magnet for terrorism.” (AP)

The Syrian government rejects torture allegations, calling the report “politicized.” (Reuters)

Prince al-Faisal calls on the US to lead a military campaign to end the fighting in Syria. (The Daily Star)

Five people were killed in a series of bombings that targeted security headquarter in Cairo. (AP/Reuters)

Pres. Mansour says his government helped bring about “an end to the police state.” (Los Angeles Times)

PM Harper meets King Abdullah II to discuss the situation in the Middle East. (Xinhua)

Jordanian MPs seek to discuss Middle East peace talks and Kerry’s visit. (The Jordan Times)

UNHCR says more than 65,000 people have fled Fallujah and Ramadi. (Reuters/The National)

The IAEA seeks extra funds to monitor Iran’s compliance with the nuclear deal (AP)

The US is reportedly lobbying top Israeli Generals to sell its ideas for securing the Jordan River Valley. (The Daily Beast)

Commentary:

Ha’aretz says the real economic danger to Israel stems from its refusal to make peace with the Palestinians and its insistence on building settlements. (Ha’aretz) 

Uri Savir says the latest rhetoric by Netanyahu and Abbas is detrimental to the peace process. (The Jerusalem Post)

J.J. Goldberg says Israel is safe without militarily controlling the Jordan River Valley. (The Jewish Daily Forward)

Ephraim Sneh gives three reasons as to why Israel should completely abandon its demand to control the Jordan River Valley. (Ynet)

Gideon Levy says Israel should try to help the besieged residents in Yarmouk. (Ha’aretz)

Alan Elsner criticises an act by the State Senate of Georgia that challenges the two state solution. (The Times of Israel)

Rami Khouri says there will be no end to the fighting in Syria without a change in the power balance on the ground. (The Jordan Times)

The Christian Science Monitor says the Syrian sides must develop enough trust in each other so that they can seek an agreement. (The Christian Science Monitor)

Murtaza Hussain says ending Assad’s atrocities must be a precondition to any broader settlement that might come up in Geneva II. (The Gulf News)

Michele Dunne and Thomas Carothers say the Obama administration must stop calling the transition in Egypt "democratic."

Ahmed Maher says the new Egyptian constitution does not contain solutions to the nation’s political and economic problems. (The Gulf News)

The National commends the political progress that has been achieved in Yemen since the beginning of the “Arab spring.” (The National)

The National says the UAE has become a “model power” for being a “modern, open, successful, Muslim nation.” (The National)

Maryam Saleh says the UN decision to stop counting Syrian death is reprehensible. (The National)

Tony Blair calls on all governments to use education to combat extremism in all faiths, and warns of emerging religious conflicts. (The Daily Star)

Charles Rizk says Lebanon’s inability to host the Hariri Special Tribunal shows that it’s a “failed state.” (The Daily Star)

Jamila Trindle says Pres. Rouhani's appearance in Davos is a public relations win for him. (Foreign Policy)

News:

Buzzfeed sees growing divisions in Arab-American opinion on Palestine as exemplified in the relationship between Hussein Ibish and Ali Abunimah. (Buzzfeed)

EU envoy to Israel Faaborg-Andersen rejects PM Netanyahu’s charge of anti-Israel bias. (The Jerusalem Post)

The EU warns Israel and the Palestinians about the high price they will pay if peace talks fail. (Reuters)

Germany wants to extend restrictions on settlement funding to bilateral and private sector agreements with Israel. (Ha’aretz)

Pres. Abbas says he is ready to meet with Netanyahu if he is ready to achieve peace. (PNN)

Netanyahu will focus on economics at the Davos conference. (Ynet)

Israel moves forward with plans for 261 new settlement homes. (AFP)

The PA condemns an Israeli raid on the Al-Quds university campus. (Ma’an)

Israel will reduce the number of years of mandatory Arabic study in schools. (Times of Israel)

The UN is searching for common ground between Pres. Assad and the Syrian opposition. (AP/Reuters/New York Times)

Pres. Rouhani says the best solution to the Syrian crisis is to organize free and fair elections. (AP/The New York Times)

The State Department was reportedly aware of the torture photos in Syria since November. (The New York Times)

Pres. Obama and Iraq’s parliamentary speaker discuss integrating Sunni tribal militias into Iraqi government forces. (AP)

Iraq executes 11 more terror convicts. (Xinhua)

Egypt is not invited to the US-Africa summit. (AP)

PM el-Beblawi backs Gen. Sissi for Egypt’s president. (Reuters)

Egypt’s pro-Morsi alliance calls for 18 days of protests. (Xinhua)

Five policemen are killed by gunmen in Egypt. (AP)

Iran shows the international media its natural gas facilities. (AP)

Commentary:

Ha’aretz condemns comments by some MKs that Arab MKs should go to Syria as “shameful and intolerable.” (Ha’aretz)

Khaled Diab says Egypt’s policies towards Hamas are unprecedented and aligned with Israel. (Ha’aretz)

Akiva Eldar says Israeli “propaganda” about alleged Palestinian “incitement” is a red-herring. (Al-Monitor)

Israel Harel says academic boycotts of Israel are ineffective, and the other boycott campaigns are faltering too. (Ha’aretz)

Barak Ravid says PM Harper proved himself a friend of Netanyahu, but not of Israel. (Ha’aretz)

The Forward says Israel should not focus on banning Nazi symbolism but on supporting Holocaust survivors. (The Forward)

Aaron Miller praises Obama’s Middle East policies but asks him to articulate them better. (Foreign Policy)

Nasouh Majali says the Geneva II talks should focus on the sectarian conflicts in the region rather than the fighting in Syria. (The Jordan Times)

Joyce Karam says the Geneva II talks miss the hard lessons learned from the Lebanese civil war. (Al Arabiya)

Joseph Kechichian says Saudi Arabia is neither promoting sectarianism in the region nor is it engaging in a proxy war with Iran in Syria. (The Gulf News)

Eyad Abu Shakra says Hezbollah seeks hegemony, not resistance. (Asharq Al-awsat)

Michael Young says the UN was not serious in investigating late PM Hariri’s assassination and that the Tribunal will fail to put an end to the climate of impunity. (The National)

Amal Mousa says the new Tunisian constitution must criminalize “takfirism.” (Asharq Al-awsat)

Assia Alaoui says Morocco is poised to play a major role in promoting peace in the region. (The Gulf News)

Gideon Rachman says many countries in the Middle East are worried by the apparent American disengagement. (The Gulf News)

Michael Jansen says the upcoming parliamentary elections in Egypt might see the return of many pro-Mubarak and Muslim Brotherhood candidates. (The Jordan Times)

Kori Schake says the US should develop a full-blown pro-Jordanian strategy and make it the major beneficiary of any Palestinian-Israeli peace deal. (Foreign Policy)

Joseph Nye says wars are never inevitable. (The Daily star)

News:

Pres. Abbas calls Russia a major player in the peace process. (Xinhua)

Pres. Peres says PM Netanyahu’s insistence on the recognition of Israel as a “Jewish state” is “unnecessary.” (Ha’aretz/AFP)

Palestinians denounce Israeli plans to build new settlements near Jerusalem. (Xinhua)

Israel says it arrested three Palestinian Al-Qaeda recruits accused of plotting to attack the US embassy in Tel Aviv. (Ha’aretz)

An Israeli airstrike kills two Gaza militants. (AP/Xinhua) 

Extremist settlers uproot over 600 olive trees in a village north of Ramallah. (Ma’an)

Israeli occupation forces injure two Palestinians after clashes with settlers. (Ma’an)

UNESCO says it's delaying for another six months an exhibit on the Jewish connections to the Holy Land. (AP)

The Syrian peace talks begin with major disputes over the future of Pres. Assad. (AP/New York Times)

Sec. Kerry says Assad will not be part of any transitional government in Syria. (The State Department)

Pres. Rouhani says hopes are slim for the Syria peace talks. (AP)

Violent clashes erupt in different parts of Syria as peace talks begin. (AP)

The Aleppo airport reopens after one year of closure. (AFP)

Jordan arrests five arm smugglers coming from Syria. (AP/The Jordan Times)

The UN is concerned about escalating terrorist attacks in Lebanon. (Xinhua)

The Iraqi government will create three new provinces in an attempt to address Sunni grievances. (AP)

An Egyptian court sentences three activists to two years each for vandalizing a state memorial. (AP)

Members of Bahrain’s political opposition are holding talks with the government. (AP)

The Turkish government dismisses another 470 police officers. (Xinhua)

Commentary:

Peter Beinart says the only person who can legitimately claim to speak for Jewish Americans on the subject of Iran is Pres. Obama. (Ha’aretz)

Naomi Sheffer and Gabi Sheffer say that the IDF has instituted a military dictatorship in the occupied West Bank. (Ha’aretz)

Matthew Hays says many Canadians feel uncomfortable about PM Harper’s visit to Israel.  (Ha’aretz)

Anne-Marie Slaughter says Obama must put the threat of force against Assad on the table in Geneva II. (The Daily Star)

The New York Times says the Geneva II talks must at least achieve a cease-fire and allow for the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the civilians. (The New York Times)

Frederic Hof says Geneva II talks will be meaningless without a cease-fire. (The Gulf News)

Tom Friedman says Syria is a "potential human/ecological disaster zone," and that Iran and Saudi Arabia should help build the country, not destroy it. (The New York Times)

The LA Times says the Geneva II conference could help to stop the killing, speed humanitarian assistance, and lay the groundwork for a political transition. (Los Angeles Times)

The National says Russia and Iran must stop supporting the “crazy person” of Syria. (The National)

The Jordan Times says the Geneva II talks are doomed to failure without Iranian participation. (The Jordan Times)

Joshua Cohen says the presence of western intelligence agencies cooperating with the Assad regime demonstrates how messy the Syrian conflict has become.  (The Times of Israel)

Marwan Muasher says the struggle for pluralism in the Arab world is worth waging and winning. (Foreign Policy)

Jed Ober says if the Egyptian interim government wants democracy then its time to give its people the rights that make democracy reality.  (Foreign Policy)

News:

The PA says it will not negotiate with Israel past the 9 month deadline. (Ma’an)

Canadian PM Harper announces a $66 million aid program for the PA. (The Jerusalem Post)

Harper declines to publicly criticize Israel on settlements. (The Jerusalem Post)

PM Netanyahu warns Hamas of a harsh Israeli response to any attack. (Ha’aretz)

Israeli human rights report affirms that Israel’s restrictions on Palestinian movement are splitting families. (AFP)

Israel’s Labor Party leader Herzog questions if Netanyahu has the “guts” to make peace with the Palestinians. (AP)

Hamas is taking security measures to preserve the ceasefire with Israel. (Xinhua/Ynet)

Israeli “price tag” vandals slash the tires of 20 vehicles and spray graffiti in the occupied West Bank. (The Jerusalem Post)

Hamas uses cigarette taxes to pay its employees’ salaries. (Al Monitor)

The Syrian opposition will attend the peace talks in Switzerland. (AP).

Iran criticizes UNSG Ban for rescinding its invitation to the Syria talks.  (AP/New York Times)

Russian FM Lavrov also criticizes the withdrawal of Iran’s invitation. (Independent)

A new report shows the systematic torture and killing of about 11,000 detainees by the Assad regime. (Reuters)

Turkey closes its border crossing with Syria due to security reasons. (Xinhua)

Western intelligence suggests that  Pres. Assad has funded and co-operated with al-Qaeda. (The Telegraph)

A car bomb hits a Shi'ite suburb in southern Beirut, killing four people. (AP/New York Times)

The Al-Nusra Front in Lebanon claims responsibility for the Beirut attack. (AFP)

Iraq executes 26 prisoners for terrorism-related charges. (AP/Reuters)

An Egyptian court sets Feb. 16 as the start date for one of the trials of former Pres. Morsi. (AP)

The UAE convicts 30 men accused of setting up an illegal Muslim Brotherhood branch. (AP)

Commentary:

Ha’aretz calls on the Israeli government to stop the covert and illegal funding of settlement outposts. (Ha’aretz)

Gadi Shamni thinks that the American approach to peace talks has failed, and it’s time to look for an alternative. (Ha’aretz)

David Newman says DM Ya’alon’s comment that Sec. Kerry is  “messianic” is ironic since he is an ultimate “messianist” who believes in a “Greater Israel.” (The Jerusalem Post)

J.J. Goldberg says its not just American pressure that’s pushing Netanyahu toward painful compromises, but the will of the Israeli public. (The Jewish Daily Forward)

Amitai Etzioni says resolving Israel’s security issues surrounding the Jordan border should be a priority. (The Jewish Daily Forward)

Faisal Al Yafai says Assad’s offer of a truce in Aleppo opens the door again for international military intervention. (The National)

James Harkin says the West’s approach to Syria is wrong because it relies on an “anti-extremism strategy.” (The Gulf News)

Colum Lynch and John Hudson say hopes for a diplomatic resolution in Syria appear more distant than ever. (Foreign Policy)

Volker Perthes says Russia and Iran should force Assad to accept a cease-fire agreement at the Geneva II talks. (The Daily Star)

Mohammad Jamal says sectarian strife must be checked in the region. (The Gulf News)

News:

Pres. Obama says the odds of completing a final treaty between Israel and the Palestinians is less than 50-50. (New Yorker)

Canada says settlements are illegal and an obstacle to peace. (Ha’aretz)

Israeli negotiators Livni and Molcho will meet with Sec. Kerry in Washington. (Xinhua)

Israel is transferring the bodies of 36 Palestinians to their families. (AP)

Two people are wounded in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. (The New York Times)

PM Netanyahu criticizes UNESCO for postponing an exhibit on “Jewish connections to the Holy Land.” (AP)

Top Israeli business leaders say Israel needs to make peace with Palestinians to maintain a growing and stable economy. (Ynet)

Israeli Economy Minister Bennett says any Palestinian state will destroy Israel’s economy. (Ynet)

Three European pension funds are reviewing their holdings in Israeli banks over concerns on   financing settlements in the occupied West Bank. (Ha’aretz)

The PLO condemns the recent pro-settlement remarks from Australia’s FM Bishop. (Ha’aretz)

A Palestinian official says Israel is dictating the agenda in the peace process. (PNN)

Israel and Egypt are reportedly quietly cooperating against Hamas in Gaza. (The Times of Israel)

Israel releases a Hamas member. (AFP)

Israeli occupation forces injure a Palestinian man near Hebron. (Ma’an)

The Oscar nominated Palestinian film “Omar” tackles a taboo topic in Palestinian society. (Al-Monitor)

Israel will stop distributing gas masks to the public. (Xinhua)

The Syrian peace talks are in doubt after the UN invites Iran to attend. (AP)

The Syrian National Council reportedly suspends its participation in the Geneva II conference. (Xinhua)

The State Department reiterates its reservations about Iran’s participation in the Syria conference. (AP)

The World Food Programme says Syria peace talks must address the humanitarian crisis. (Reuters).

Iran starts implementing the interim nuclear deal. (AP)

Iraqi authorities say a series of bombings across Baghdad killed 21 people. (AP/Reuters)

PM Al-Maliki is trying to repeat the American “Awakening” strategy in Anbar. (New York Times)

The death toll rises to four in new clashes in Lebanon’s Tripoli. (Xinhua)

Egyptian prosecutors file new charges against former Pres. Morsi. (AP)

Commentary:

S. Daniel Abraham says Israel cannot survive the failure of peace talks. (Ha’aretz)

Gideon Levy says the “Jewish state” cannot be reconciled with the occupation. (Ha’aretz)

Moshe Arens says Israel should not relinquish the occupied territories out of fear of delegitimization. (Ha’aretz)

Yitzhak Laor says the victims of the late PM Sharon in Qibya and Sabra and Shatila must be remembered. (Ha’aretz)

Kobi Niv accuses the Israeli media of bias against non-Jews. (Ha’aretz)

The Gulf News says the UAE will not normalize relations with Israel until it makes peace with the Palestinians. (The Gulf news)

Abdullah Al Shayji says the future of the Arab World will be determined in 2014. (The Gulf News)

Amer Al Sabaileh says Jordan can play an essential role in the settlement of the contentious issues in the region. (The Jordan Times)

The National says the relatively high turnout of the Egyptian voters shows that the country is heading in the right direction. (The National)

Wael Haddara says the referendum on the new Egyptian constitution was a “red herring.” (The Daily Star)

Hadeel al Sayegh says dictatorship and religious extremists are bad choices for both Syrians and Iraqis. (The National)

Javier Solana says the Syrian war poses a threat to global security and Geneva II must not be wasted. (The Daily Star)

Sinan Ulgen says a Gulf-Turkey alliance is possible, but Aayid Mannaa says it isn’t. (Asharq Alawsat)

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