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News:

UNSG Ban says Palestine will become part of the ICC on April 1st. (PNN/JTA/Times of Israel)

EU Foreign Policy Chief Mogherini says Israel is violating the Oslo Accords by freezingPalestinian tax revenues. (AP/Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post)

France warns the Palestinians not to resubmit the UN statehood resolution. (JTA/Reuters/Jerusalem Post)

An Israeli group files a war crimes suit against Palestinian leaders. (Times of Israel)

PM Hamdallah is scheduled to visit Gaza in the coming few days. (Ma’an)

Hamas says the PA is “misusing” Gaza reconstruction funds. (Ma’an) 

Sweden’s FM Wallstroem postpones a planned visit to Israel. (JTA/Times of Israel)

The Allenby Crossing has been witnessing very serious overcrowdedness, as tens of thousands of Palestinians are trying to leave to Jordan. (Ma’an)

The Media Line looks at the challenges facing bilingual education in Israel. (The Media Line)

The UN says Syrians are the largest refugee group after the Palestinians. (Reuters)

Chemical weapons investigators are confident chlorine gas was used in Syrian villages. (AP)

The Pentagon says the American training of Syrian rebels could begin in spring. (Reuters/New York Times)

Masked gunmen open fire in the offices of a French satirical newspaper, killing 12. (New York Times/Ha’aretz)

Pres. Sisi visits the main Coptic Christian cathedral during its Christmas Eve Mass. (New York Times)

The Egyptian army kills a senior Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis leader. (Ma’an)

Egypt’s central bank says foreign currency reserves fell to $15.33 billion at the end of December. (AP)

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Salman gives a speech on behalf of King Abdullah. (The National)

A female suicide bomber strikes in Istanbul, killing a policeman. (AP/Washington Post) 

Ayatollah Khamenei says the US cannot be trusted in nuclear talks. (AP/Reuters)

Commentary:

Hussein Ibish says in order to bring ICC charges against them, Israel would have to recognize Palestinian’s sovereignty. (Now)

Aaron David Miller says the Palestinian move to join the ICC seems desperate and rash -- to everyone but the Palestinians. (Foreign Policy)

Rami Khouri says its time for serious Palestinian leadership. (Daily Star)

Noah Feldman says joining the ICC could provide Palestinians more leverage in -- and to get to -- negotiations with Israel. (Bloomberg)

Daniella Peled looks at how Israel will stand to lose at the ICC, without a single trial taking place.  (Ha’aretz)

Yossi Mekelberg says the threat of the ICC is a serious weapon that should be handled by both sides very carefully. (Al Arabiya)

Osama Al Sharif looks at Pres. Abbas’ diplomatic options. (Jordan Times)

Al-Monitor interviews Fatah official Jibril Rajoub. (Al-Monitor)

Ha’aretz says Israel cannot allow itself another term with PM Netanyahu. (Ha’aretz)

Shlomi Eldar says Palestinian citizens of Israel will not vote in the next elections. (Al-Monitor)

Michael Young traces the blunders made by the Assad regime through the fate of one of its more prominent partners, the late Omar Karami. (The National)

Hamad Al-Majid says the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood needs to consider implementing significant, not superficial, change and reform. (Asharq al-Awsat)

John Hannah says its time to pursue regime change in Iran. (Foreign Policy)
 

News:

Palestinians are seen to be gaining momentum in their quest for statehood. (New York Times)

The ICC says Palestinian officials have acknowledged the court's jurisdiction regarding last summer's Gaza war. (AFP)

The US is considering cutting aid to the PA over recent PLO moves. (AP)

Pres. Rivlin says he is opposed to Israel withholding Palestinian tax revenues in response to multilateral PLO initiatives. (AFP/Xinhua)

The US also strongly criticizes Israel's withholding of Palestinian tax revenues. (Ha'aretz)

Hamas denies reports that its leader, Khaled Meshaal, has been expelled from Qatar, but Israel welcomes the report. (Reuters/Times of Israel/Ha'aretz)

Hamas says it is opposed to Arabs and Muslims visiting Jerusalem. (Xinhua)

Hamas says it is "totally opposed" to any new Palestinian UN bid. (AFP)

Israel sentences a Hamas member to life imprisonment for the killing of three Israeli teenagers last summer. (BBC)

Israeli occupation forces shoot and injure a Palestinian teenager in a West Bank raid. (Ma'an)

Israel's military is divided over probes into last summer's Gaza war. (AP)

Palestinians eagerly await the performance of their Cinderella national soccer team at Asian Cup 2015. (The Guardian)

Japan and Israel are establishing closer ties. (JTA)

Hezbollah appears to acknowledge that a top official has been found to be spying for Israel. (New York Times/Times of Israel)

Clashes with ISIS extremists kill 23 government troops and allied forces in Iraq. (AP)

Kurdish fighters seize a key district in the embattled Syrian town of Kobane. (BBC)

A senior ISIS extremist is found beheaded by unknown assailants in Syria. (Ha'aretz)

Thousands of Syrians in Aleppo are trapped between ISIS and regime forces. (CNN)

There are growing signs of ISIS misrule and incompetence in the areas under its control. (Financial Times/Daily Beast)

Doctors say the West's focus on ISIS means it is ignoring the human tragedy in Syria. (Reuters)

Gunmen kill two Egyptian policeman guarding a Christian church. (AP)

France says it is ready to strike extremists on Libya's borders. (AP)

A Jordanian prince is trying to unseat FIFA chief Sepp Blatter. (AP)

Shiite rebels in Yemen are reportedly helping Sunni Al Qaeda militants. (Christian Science Monitor)


Commentary:

Peter Beinart responds to Dennis Ross's critique of Palestinian moves at the UN and the ICC. (Ha'aretz)

David Makovsky looks at the policy implications of the Palestinian ICC initiative. (WINEP)

Nehemia Shtrasler says Israel will pay the price for PM Netanyahu's 'management' of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. (Ha'aretz)

Adnan Abu Amer says Hamas is divided over a potential rapprochement with former Fatah leader Dahlan. (Al Monitor)

Ali Ibrahim welcomes a well-timed appeal for Jerusalem from the head of the OIC. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Amiram Barkat says Christians in Jerusalem want Jews to stop spitting on them. (Ha'aretz)

Abdulrahman Al-Rashed asks if relations can improve between Iran and Saudi Arabia. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Salman Aldossary says Saudi Arabia will not save Iran's economy. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Madawi Al-Rasheed asks if the next Saudi King will seize the opportunity for change. (Al Monitor)

The CSM says Arab and Turkish hospitality to Syrian refugees is an example to the West. (Christian Science Monitor)

The New York Times denounces Egypt's crackdown on gay men. (New York Times)

Mohamed Fadel Fahmy says Al Jazeera journalists are not Egypt's enemies. (New York Times)

The BBC looks at why ISIS' "Islamic State" is not a country at all. (BBC)

Gopal Ratnam asks what comes after ISIS is defeated. (Foreign Policy)

Rasha Al Aqeedi says Mosul was on its way to being much more conservative long before ISIS took over. (The National)

Michael Karam remembers legendary Lebanese wine-maker Serge Hochar. (The Daily Star)

News:

Palestinian officials demand an inquiry after the killing of a Gaza teenager by Egyptian forces. (New York Times)

Israel withholds tax revenues from Palestinians and threatens lawsuits against them. (The Guardian/Reuters/AFP)

Israel threatens more punitive measures against Palestinians. (AP)

Israel's responses will not include more settlement activity. (Ha'aretz)

Israel urges the US Congress to halt aid to the PA. (Ha'aretz)

US officials say Palestinian ICC moves will have "implications" for American aid to the PA. (Reuters)

Freezing Palestinian tax revenues is a double-edged sword for Israel. (Ha'aretz)

Pres. Abbas says he may resubmit a recently defeated draft UNSC text to the Security Council. (Xinhua)

Chief PLO negotiator Erekat says Palestine will decide when to submit a new UN resolution in meeting with Arab ministers. (Ma'an)

Jordan was reportedly displeased by the Palestinian UN initiative. (Ha'aretz)

MK Tibi says Israelis should think about the ICC when they "murder Palestinian children." (YNet)

Israeli officials say they're not concerned about facing ICC charges. (Al Monitor)

Israel's Supreme Court rules against the separation wall in the historic West Bank village of Battir. (Ma'an)

Rights groups say there was an 80% increase in detentions of Palestinians by Israel in 2014. (Ma'an)

Hamas and Islamic Jihad hold a joint meeting in Gaza. (Ma'an)

Tourism to Israel sharply decreased after the Gaza war last summer. (Jerusalem Post)

Israel allows a FIFA delegation to cross into Gaza after several hours delay. (Xinhua)

The speaker of Libya's Parliament rejects foreign military intervention. (AP)

The Libyan military says it opened fire on a "suspicious" Greek tanker. (AP)

20 Egyptian Christians are kidnapped by extremists in Libya. (AP/Xinhua)

Two Saudi border guards are killed in an attack near the Iraqi border. (AP/BBC)

Reuters looks at the foreign fighters joining the battle against ISIS. (Reuters)

Lebanon says ISIS seeks bases within the country. (Reuters)

ISIS gained ground among Muslim extremists the world over in 2014. (Los Angeles Times)

The Western-backed Syrian National Coalition elects a new leader. (Reuters)

The "rise and ugly fall" of a moderate Syrian rebel may offer valuable lessons for the West. (Washington Post)

Iyad Madani, secretary-general of the 57-nation OIC, visits Jerusalem and urges other Muslims to follow suit. (AP)

A Kuwaiti MP says he is facing criminal charges after supporting legalizing the sale of alcohol. (AP)

Nida Tunis asks veteran politician Habib Essid to form a new Tunisian government. (AP/Reuters)

Iran's president urges a nuclear deal with the P5+1. (Los Angeles Times)

Former U.S. Congressman Slattery is optimistic about a nuclear deal after visiting Iran. (Al Monitor)

The falling price of oil is squeezing Hezbollah's finances. (Christian Science Monitor)

Yemen's Shiite rebels reject an agreed-upon federal plan for the country. (AP)


Commentary:

Hussein Ibish says Palestinians desperately need a coherent national strategy. (The National)

Ha'aretz says freezing Palestinian tax revenues is a bizarre Israeli response to the PLO UN initiative. (Ha'aretz)

Aaron David Miller says Palestine's "diplomatic intifada" will fail. (Politico)

Avi Issacharoff says both sides experienced "Pyrrhic victories" at the UN. (Times of Israel)

Aaron Magid says the US must stop blaming Abbas for trying to join the ICC. (Ma'an)

Linda Heard asks if the ICC will let down the Palestinians, just as the UN has done. (Gulf News)

Dennis Ross says Palestinians should be pressured to focus on the substance, rather than symbols, of peace. (New York Times)

The Daily Star says Palestinians are right to seek new paths to independence, and should keep on doing so. (Daily Star)

The Wall Street Journal says the US should cut off aid to the PA if Palestinians try to use the ICC against Israel. (Wall Street Journal)

Oudeh Basharat says even the center-left coalition of Herzog and Livni promises a continuation of the occupation. (Ha'aretz)

Amira Hass says that in the West Bank, every flat tire tells a story. (Ha'aretz)

Theodore Sasson asks if Israel's "Jewish state" rhetoric will alienate the Jewish diaspora. (The Forward)

Bruce Riedel asks if a Saudi succession process is about to take place. (Al Monitor)

Hassan Barari says the US is too eager for a nuclear deal with Iran. (Arab News)

The Daily Star dismisses Iran's "empty promises" to the international community. (Daily Star)

Lauren Williams says ISIS has polarized Turkey. (Daily Star)

Diana Moukalled says Jordan may be ISIS' next target. (Asharq Al Awsat)

News:

Palestinians take the first step towards joining the ICC, a move seen as confrontational. (New York Times/Reuters/AFP)

Palestinians hope to bring war crimes charges against Israelis at the ICC. (AP)

It may be difficult for Palestinians to arrange for indictments of Israelis at the ICC. (New York Times)

Palestinians have reportedly filed an early complaint against Israelis at the ICC. (Asharq Al Awsat)

 

Congress warns Palestinians that the ICC move may lead to a reduction in aid. (JTA)

A Palestinian is reportedly crushed to death amid 'extreme overcrowding' at a West Bank checkpoint. (Ha'aretz)

Armed Israeli settlers confront American consulate guards in the occupied West Bank. (YNet)

Former Finance Minister Yair Lapid says settlement funding is "corrupt." (AP)

Israeli soldiers critically injure a Palestinian in a shooting near Nablus. (Ma'an)

Palestinian TV plans to raise awareness of violence against women and girls. (The Guardian)

A delegation of PA unity government ministers leaves Gaza. (Ma'an)

An injured nine-year-old girl has become a symbol of the Gaza war. (The Guardian)

Experts disagree about Palestinian projections that Jews will be a minority in historic Palestine by 2016. (Jerusalem Post)

PM Netanyahu wins Likud's primary. (AP)

An Arab woman is running for Parliament in Israel on a hard-line Israeli-nationalistic ticket. (AP/Times of Israel)

Half of Israel's Jewish and Arab students want nothing to do with each other. (Ha'aretz)

India is building closer ties to Israel. (The Media Line)

Coalition jets pound ISIS' stronghold in Syria. (AP)

Kurds in Iraq launch a new offensive against ISIS. (AP)

Gunmen kill three Sunni clerics in Basra. (AP)

2014 was the bloodiest year in Iraq since 2006-07. (Reuters)

Three Al Jazeera journalists remain in prison after an Egyptian court orders a retrial in the case. (New York Times/Los Angeles Times)

The family of one of the journalists hopes Egypt will deport him. (AP)

Beirut's elegant new downtown is bereft of people. (Washington Post)

Libya's Prime Minister may be considering resignation. (Asharq Al Awsat)

The BBC looks at prospects facing new Tunisian president Essebsi. (BBC)


Commentary:

The New York Times says Palestinians seem to be driven by desperation. (New York Times)

Barak Ravid says Israel's troubles with the international community are just beginning. (Ha'aretz)

Alon Pinkas says Palestinians lost the diplomatic battle, but not the war. (YNet)

Yonah Jeremy Bob says Israelis may not face any prosecution at the ICC. (Jerusalem Post)

Julian Borger says ICC membership could be a double-edged sword for Palestinians. (The Guardian)

J.J. Goldberg says Israel and the Palestinians are playing a "game of chicken" at the ICC. (The Forward)

Raphael Ahren says Palestine at the ICC is a headache Israel may learn to live with. (Times of Israel)

The Times of Israel interviews Hamas leader Ghazi Hamad. (Times of Israel)

David Brooks says Netanyahu is subtly reshaping Israel. (New York Times)

Roger Cohen says Gaza is a "nowhere" that must be turned into a "somewhere." (New York Times)

Ha'aretz says Israel should not censor a Gaza war investigation. (Ha'aretz)

Zeev Sternhell says Palestinians should follow the example of David Ben-Gurion. (Ha'aretz)

Amira Hass says Palestine's recent defeat at the UNSC is a "harsh wake-up call" for Pres. Abbas. (Ha'aretz)

Yoni Ben Menachem looks at "evidence of tension between the military and political wings of Hamas." (JCPA)

H.A. Hellyer says ISIS is unlikely to gain further ground in 2015. (The National)

Wafiq Al-Samarrai says Iran's central role in the fight against ISIS in Iraq must be recognized. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Abdulrahman Al-Rashed says any solution in Syria depends on getting rid of Pres. Assad. (Asharq Al Awsat)

News:

Palestine's latest UN resolution fails to garner nine votes, which would have raised the question of a US veto, in the Security Council. (New York Times/Reuters/Los Angeles Times/BBC)

The US reconfirms its support for peace based on the 1967 borders. (Ha'aretz)

US and Israeli intervention led to the Palestinian defeat. (The Guardian)

Jewish-American groups credit Pres. Obama for engineering the defeat. (Ha'aretz)

Palestinians say Australia may have damaged its relations with the Arab world by voting against the resolution. (The Guardian)

Palestinians plan their next steps. (AP)

Some in the Palestinian leadership are reportedly urging Pres. Abbas to seek ICC membership, possibly in the next day or two. (Ha'aretz/Times of Israel)

Hamas again condemns the PLO's UN initiatives. (Ma'an)

Israel says it is "satisfied" by the UN vote, but reiterates its criticisms of the Palestinians and Europe. (AFP/Ha'aretz)

Israel's UN envoy was absent during the vote. (Ha'aretz)

An Israeli settler runs over a Palestinian child walking to school in Tuqu. (Ma'an)

Israeli settlers set a Palestinian home on fire while the family inside sleeps. (Ma'an)

Israeli police arrest suspects accused of vandalizing a Jerusalem abby. (AP)

Fatah is preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary in Ramallah. (Ma'an)

US forces in Iraq are training new troops to combat ISIS, beginning in February. (New York Times)

Iran denies reports the US offered it a prisoner swap. (AP)

Russia says US sanctions may hurt talks on Syria and Iran. (AP)

International calls emerge for the release of Bahrain's leading opposition figure. (New York Times/AP)

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah is admitted to hospital for tests. (AP/Xinhua)

Tunisia's new secular president, Beji Caid Essebsi, is sworn in. (Ha'aretz/BBC)

A slowdown in aid from the Gulf threatens Egypt's economic recovery. (Al Monitor)


Commentary:

Itamar Eichner describes how the Palestinian UN draft was defeated. (YNet)

Raphael Ahren says the Palestinian defeated the UN is good news for Likud MK's. (Times of Israel)

The Daily Star says Fatah has been brought down by a "simple failure to show moral leadership and address core grievances.". (Daily Star)

Adnan Abu Amer says the rapprochement between Egypt and Qatar has rattled Hamas. (Al Monitor)

Jay Michaelson says "pinkwashing" Israel on gay rights is incredibly wrong. (The Forward)

Javier Solana says an international course correction on Syria must begin in Aleppo. (GulfNews)

Colum Lynch says fear of angering Pres. Assad has left a gap in the UN Syria relief program. (Foreign Policy)

Michael Young says Lebanon faces a familiar set of old problems. (The National)

Ali Ibrahim wants to know who's setting Libya's oil on fire. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Ali Mamouri thinks Basra may be moving towards independence. (Al Monitor)

The Gulf News says defeating extremism will be the priority in the Middle East in 2015. (GulfNews)

Alastair Sloane looks at how the war on terror became a lucrative business. (The Daily Star)

Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi sees improved Gulf relations with Egypt and Qatar as a positive sign for Arab unity. (Arab News)

Aaron David Miller lists five reasons why 2015 is going to bring positive changes to the Middle East. (Foreign Policy)

Joseph Kechichian says Middle Eastern states will survive the challenge from pseudo-states and substate actors. (Gulf News)

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