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Kai Bird says Sheik Jarrah has come to symbolize everything that has gone wrong between Israelis and Palestinians. The LA Times looks at Israeli censorship policies, and at Pres. Obama's continuing popularity with Jewish Americans. The US is seeking to keep Israel's nuclear weapons off the table at the UN. Israel reportedly wants upcoming proximity talks to be "discreet." Hamas is short on cash. Settlers use new tactics against Palestinians. Shaul Arieli says PM Netanyahu must explain negotiations to the Israeli public. Pres. Abbas confirms negotiations will tackle all permanent status issues and seeks to expand "Area A." Israel says the PA boycott of settlement products will be raised in the talks. The BBC obtains key documents on the siege of Gaza. The Financial Times says Obama must insist on the outcome of negotiations. Walid Salem says despite obstacles, PA State building is moving forward. Omar Baddar profiles "Sleepless in Jerusalem and Gaza." John Mearsheimer says Israel will never allow Palestinian statehood and will turn into an apartheid state that will ultimately become dominated by a Palestinian majority, but Hussein Ibish says Mearsheimer is wrong and is using Palestinians as a foil in his feud with the pro-Israel lobby.
Roger Cohen profiles PM Fayyad, and Time magazine lists him in its top 100 most influential people in the world. Fayyad calls for lifting the siege of Gaza. A cosmetics company ceases operating in Israeli settlements. Sec. Clinton says Arab states should do more on peace. Pres. Abbas says the US has pledged to stop Israeli provocations, and US officials reportedly promise not to veto a Security Council resolution if further settlement activity occurs in Jerusalem. Tzvia Greenfield says Israel must make peace if it wants to survive. Pres. Obama has reportedly said that if talks are still stalemated in the fall, he will call an international conference. Israelis worry that settler violence is spinning out of control. Jordan's King Abdullah says Israel is playing with fire. Israelis are concerned Palestinians will seek UN recognition of a state. The State Department says Israel must remove unauthorized outposts. Some Palestinians urge Pres. Abbas to appoint a deputy. The UN distributes laptop computers to Gaza students. Divestment bills do not pass in two California universities. Tariq Alhomayed asks when Arab tolerance for Hamas will end. ATFP President Ziad Asali outlines new nonviolent Palestinian strategies for independence.
The New York Times contrasts the Washington trips of DM Barak and Jerusalem Mayor Barakat. Nonviolent protests are spreading among Palestinians. Another leftist opposition group condemns Hamas tax policies. Hamas accuses Egypt of causing the deaths of tunnel workers. Israeli troops kill a Palestinian protester in a "no go area." The PA says Israel is helping settlers seize Palestinian land. Settlers are briefly arrested after violent attacks on Palestinians. The PA urges Palestinians to stop using Israeli cell phone providers. Interior Minister Yishai is invited to visit the White House. Residents of Silwan present a plan to prevent the demolition of their homes. D. Bloomfield says both Israel and the Palestinians want peace, but with the Obama administration and not each other. Larry Derfner says Israel won't budge on its own. Gideon Rachman says Israelis may hate and fear Pres. Obama, but his policies are in their interests. Jewish American leaders express satisfaction with administration outreach. A commentary from Middle East Progress urges flexibility and perseverance on peace. Elliott Abrams says US policy has undermined the Palestinian leadership. George Hishmeh says PM Netanyahu must choose between political expediency and Israel's national interests. Michael Jansen replies to Aaron David Miller.
Israeli officials disagree about the reason for a lull in Jerusalem settlement activity. As nonviolent Palestinian protests spread, Israel uses new crowd dispersal weapons. Israel expels a fourth Palestinian from the West Bank to Gaza. Palestinian children are reportedly beaten by settlers. Opposition groups warn Hamas its policies may lead to a revolt. Israeli officials predict negotiations within two weeks, but Palestinians say it's too soon. The PA bans Palestinian laborers from working in settlements, but will not fine them. Israeli troops dismantle makeshift settler structures in the West Bank. A Ha'aretz report compares the present situation with the one that led to the 1973 war. Pres. Sarkozy says PM Netanyahu's "foot dragging" on peace is "unacceptable." The Israeli government may be quietly pushing for a "provisional" Palestinian state. US officials say comments by Israel's mayor in Jerusalem undermine peace talks. Israeli officials say they will not honor their commitment to dismantle settlement outposts. Rami Khouri says US Middle East policy is still driven by domestic politics.
Pres. Abbas signals willingness on proximity talks. Roger Cohen sees reasons for hope. Lara Friedman and Daniel Seidemann list the top 10 myths on settlement activity promoted by Israel's Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, who is interviewed by the LA Times. Two Palestinian children are being tried in a military court for stonethrowing. Abbas issues a decree banning settlement goods. Israel reprimands soldiers in "avoidable" deaths of four Palestinians. Palestinian girls participate in Intel's youth science fair. AP profiles PM Fayyad's new brand of politics. More reports suggest Israel has instituted a de facto settlement freeze in Jerusalem, and has demolished 10 settler houses. Palestinians agree to reshuffle the cabinet. Bradley Burston says hating Pres. Obama is becoming a religion in Israel. Haggai Alon says the siege of Gaza spurs Muslim anger.

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