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NEWS:
 
US officials downplay the significance of PM Fayyad's resignation, but are reportedly asking that he stay on as caretaker for a few more weeks to facilitate American peace efforts. (AFP/Reuters)
 
The UN expresses its appreciation to Fayyad and reiterates its commitment to a two-state solution. (UN/WAFA)
 
Some analysts say the next Palestinian PM "must be able to handle factional squabbles." (The National)
 
The CSM looks at the broader context of Fayyad's resignation. (CSM)
 
Pres. Abbas makes the first visit of a Palestinian leader to Kuwait in 20 years. (Reuters)
 
Abbas' office expresses concerns about a potential visit by PM Erdogan to Gaza. (Xinhua)
 
Egypt joins the PA in registering formal objections to Canada about FM Baird's visit to occupied East Jerusalem. (Xinhua)
 
Israel celebrates the 65th anniversary of its founding. (AP)
 
Israel's military chief of staff says his country is capable of attacking Iran on its own. (Ha'aretz)
 
Hamas police disperse protesters outside UNRWA's headquarters in Gaza. (Xinhua)
 
 
COMMENTARY:
 
The Economist says Fatah officials may soon regret hounding Fayyad out of office. (The Economist)
 
Hassan Barari also says Palestinians may come to soon regret Fayyad's departure. (Jordan Times)
 
Bloomberg says Israel is making a huge mistake by undermining the Palestinian economy, and these policies led to Fayyad's resignation. (Bloomberg)
 
Peter Beinart says Israel and the United States should have supported Fayyad, but didn't. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)
 
Gil Troy says Fayyad's resignation is a loss for both peoples. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)
 
Grant Rumley says it remains to be seen if Fayyad's reforms can survive without him. (The Atlantic)
 
Jon Donnison says it may take quite some time to find a replacement for Fayyad. (BBC)
 
Ha'aretz says Israel's future depends on peace with the Palestinians and other neighbors. (Ha'aretz)
 
Zvi Bar'el says Israeli-Turkish rapprochement is moving forward such that it may be difficult for Erdogan not to visit Israel in his upcoming trip to the area. (Ha'aretz)
 
David Pollock says there is an increasing risk that Israel could be drawn into the Syrian Civil War. (New York Times)
 
Amos Harel says Israel's military is changing quickly. (Ha'aretz)
 
Jay Michaelson says friends of Israel ought to listen to the pro-peace views of its security hawks. (The Forward)
 
Mairav Zonszein says those who haven't seen the occupation firsthand can't preach to stone-throwing Palestinian protesters. (The Forward)
 
Oudeh Basharat says the controversy about stone-throwing in Palestinian protests shows Israel has ceded the role of righteous underdog. (Ha'aretz)
 

Alon Pinkas says Sec. Kerry needs a framework for his peace process diplomacy.

NEWS:
 
In his weekly radio address, outgoing PM Fayyad urges Palestinians to hold elections. (AP)
 
A new Palestinian opinion poll shows Pres. Abbas and his Fatah party much more popular than Hamas, or any of its leaders, but student elections show strong support for Hamas. (PNN/Al Monitor)
 
Israel fines Palestinians for displaying Palestinian flags on their cars in Jerusalem on Israel's "Independence Day." (Ma'an)
 
The PA says Israel is detaining at least 236 children as young as 12 among its 5000 Palestinian prisoners. (Ma'an)
 
Israel is reportedly trying to negotiate the end of a hunger strike by a Palestinian prisoner that has gone on and off for 250 days. (Reuters)
 
Jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti complains the PA isn't doing enough to secure his release. (Jerusalem Post)
 
The Palestinian economy in occupied East Jerusalem is struggling. (The Media Line)
 
Palestinian refugees are fleeing Syria for the Gaza Strip. (Xinhua)
 
Two rockets are fired into southern Israel from the Sinai Peninsula and Islamist extremists claim responsibility. (AP/Reuters)
 
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee adopts a resolution to support Israel in a confrontation with Iran. (Ha'aretz)
 
A promotional video prepared by Israel's Foreign Ministry ignores the existence of Palestinians and the Oslo Accords. (Ha'aretz)
 
Turkey's deputy PM says relations with Israel are returning to normal. (Jerusalem Post)
 
Jewish-American activists say fewer teenagers are visiting Israel every year. (JTA)
 
Israel's Housing Minister Uri Ariel vows to move forward with the highly controversial E1 settlement expansion project. (Ma'an)
 
 
COMMENTARY:
 
John Ware asks what the future holds for Israel on its 65th anniversary. (BBC)
 
Jihad el-Khazen says Fayyad is better than all of Fatah's leadership put together and that Fatah and Hamas are "playing with fire." (Al Hayat)
 
The Jordan Times says Fayyad's resignation cannot be good for peace. (Jordan Times)
 
David Makovsky says Fayyad was scapegoated or shortchanged by all parties. (WINEP)
 
Elliott Abrams says Fayyad faced stiff Palestinian opposition and insufficient international support. (The Weekly Standard)
 
Akiva Eldar asks if Fayyad's resignation will be a wake-up call for Israel. (Al Monitor)
 
Zvi Bar'el says Israel needs peace with Palestinians in the occupied territories, and sincere reconciliation with those that are citizens of Israel. (Ha'aretz)
 
Yitzhak Laor says Israeli racism against its Arab citizens cannot be concealed. (Ha'aretz)
 
Yossi Yona says the victory of a Palestinian citizen of Israel in a TV singing contest doesn't mean racism in Israel is eliminated, but it does show a real desire to move beyond it. (YNet)
 
Azriel Bermant says Margaret Thatcher's "friendship" with Israel was based on pragmatism, not love. (Ha'aretz)
 
Hossam Zaki offers his advice for peacemakers. (Al Monitor)
 
Bernard Avishai says peace is essential, but the peace processes become the "ultimate bore." (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

 

NEWS:

Pres. Abbas and PM Fayyad both come under intense pressure for Fayyad not to resign. (Reuters/Xinhua/Ha'aretz)

US officials say they do not believe Fayyad will be leaving office. (AFP)

Pres. Obama tells UNSG Ban he sees a "window of opportunity" to restart Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. (JTA)

Human Rights Watch condemns Hamas for killing accused collaborators with Israel. (AP/Reuters)

Israel offers to deport a long-standing Palestinian hunger striking prisoner, Samer Issawi, to a third country. (AP)

A 60-year-old Palestinian judge, Ahmad al-Zir, is beaten unconscious by settlers near Ramallah. (Ma'an)

The Israeli government is planning to cut state funding to an extremist settlement seminary over violence against Palestinians and Israeli troops. (AFP)

A Palestinian man is wounded by occupation forces in a confrontation near Hebron. (Xinhua)

Israel is trying a Palestinian-American child accused of stone-throwing in the occupied West Bank. (Reuters)

Israel will open the Kerem Shalom crossing for four hours today to allow food and gas into the Gaza Strip. (Ma'an)

The Israeli military says it believes that Hamas is significantly increasing its efforts to capture more Israeli soldiers. (YNet)

The UK is helping Palestinian businesses reach more international markets. (PNN)

Palestinians are bracing for another dry summer under Israeli occupation water policies. (Ha'aretz)

Israel is finding the situation along the border between Syria and the occupied Golan Heightsincreasingly alarming, and is beefing up its defenses. (Reuters/The National)

40,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria are now in Lebanon, and some are on hunger strike. (The Daily Star)

Bedouin tribesmen in Sinai briefly abduct a Hungarian member of the multinational observer force, and then release him. (AP)

Jordanian MPs call for the release of the perpetrator of the massacre of Israeli schoolgirls. (Jerusalem Post)

Tensions reportedly reemerge between the Israeli and American offices of the American Jewish Committee. (The Forward)


COMMENTARY:

Ben Caspit purports to tell the inside story of the recent conversations between Obama and PM Netanyahu. (Al Monitor)

Hazem Balousha says Qatar's sponsorship of Hamas is greatly hindering Palestinian reconciliation. (Al Monitor)

Nabeel Shaath says Palestinians are deeply upset by Canadian FM Baird's visit to occupied East Jerusalem. (Globe and Mail)

Ha'aretz says if the new Israeli government persists with its policies it will bear a heavy responsibility for any failure of new US peace initiatives. (Ha'aretz)

The Guardian says the biggest obstacles to peace are the power asymmetry, and the nature of the status quo, between Israel and the Palestinians. (The Guardian)

Yossi Sarid says those who condemn stone-throwing by Palestinian protesters are probably against any form of resistance to occupation. (Ha'aretz)

Lior Akerman questions the nature of the Israeli-Turkish rapprochement. (Jerusalem Post)

Hillel Halkin says Israel should not have apologized to Turkey. (The Forward)

Ibrahim Kalin asks what's next after Israel's apology in further mending relations with Turkey. (The Daily Star)

Randa Takieddine says Lebanon should not hesitate to follow Israel's lead in exploiting offshore natural gas deposits. (Al Hayat)

The Economist says racism in football in Israel is a huge problem, but some are trying to challenge it. (The Economist)

NEWS

Israeli officials reportedly reject Sec. Kerry's proposals for new talks, and say they will be making no gestures towards the Palestinians. (Ha'aretz/YNet)

PM Fayyad reportedly offers his resignation, but reports are contradictory on the matter. (Reuters/AP/Ha'aretz)

Israeli media report that Israeli security services recommended to PM Netanyahu he should release pre-Oslo Palestinian detainees. (Man'sn)

Reconfirmed Hamas leader Mishaal is seeking a wider role for himself and for the organization. (AP)

A new Palestinian poll suggests a major drop in support for both Hamas and rocket attacks against Israel. (YNet)

Israel keeps Gaza's only commercial crossing closed for a third straight day. (Xinhua)

The UN says Israel's policies are depleting Gaza's food stocks. (Ynet)

Human Rights Watch condemns Hamas for executing accused collaborators with Israel. (AP)

Egyptian forces detain four people allegedly trying to smuggle maps and arms into Gaza. (Ma'an)

Israeli and Palestinian businesspersons establish an arbitration system to manage disputes. (CSM)

Former Pres. Carter is honored at Yeshiva University despite some controversy. (New York Times)

Palestinians plan to build a national museum in Ramallah. (The Media Line/AP)

Canada's Foreign Minister breaks an international taboo by meeting Israeli officials in occupied East Jerusalem. (AFP)

Palestinian villagers complain to the UN that Canadian businesses are profiting from Israeli settlement projects. (Al Monitor)

Palestinian human rights groups call on Hamas to rescind their order enforcing gender segregation in all schools for children above the age of nine. (PNN)


COMMENTARY

Gershon Baskin says, in spite of what everyone claims, the parties know very well how to make peace if they want to. (Jerusalem Post)

Peter Joseph and David Halperin explain why they wrote a "peace letter" to Sec. Kerry. (Jerusalem Post)

Douglas Bloomfield says he doubts whether Turkey is interested in peace, and it's really up to the Israelis and Palestinians. (Jerusalem Post)

George Hishmeh says Arabs need to battle sectarianism from primary school onwards. (Gulf News)

Adnan Abu Amer claims reconfirmed Hamas politburo leader Mishaal wants to make the organization "more rational" but faces stiff resistance. (Al Monitor)

John Whitbeck says it might make sense for Palestine to join the ICC. (Arab News)

Shlomo Brom and Shimon Stein say Israel needs a two-state solution "in spite of herself." (Al Monitor)

NEWS:

Sec. Kerry is said to be "upbeat" after three days of Middle East diplomacy. (AP)

Kerry reportedly gets PM Netanyahu's agreement to focus on Palestinian economic improvements. (Ha'aretz/AP/Reuters)

Palestinian officials say US inducements offered thus far are insufficient for the resumption of negotiations. (Ha'aretz/AP)

Palestinian officials say Western countries are pressuring Israel to release some Palestinian prisoners as a prelude to resumed negotiations. (Xinhua)

PM Erdogan reportedly delays a planned trip to Gaza due to US requests. (Ha'aretz)

Israel's military denies there was any exchange of gunfire along the border with Gaza yesterday. (Xinhua)

Occupation forces detain 22 Palestinians in raids across the West Bank. (Ma'an)

Israel rearrests a Palestinian who went on a well-publicized hunger strike last year. (Ma'an)

Israel blocks a large shipment of supplies bound for Gaza. (PNN)

Tensions continue to flare between Hamas and UNRWA. (Al Monitor)

An Israeli court sentences a Jewish terrorist, who emigrated from the United States, to two life terms for murdering Palestinians and additional crimes. (New York Times)

Israeli authorities arrest and charge a Palestinian citizen of Israel accused of fighting with rebels in Syria. (AP)

Another Palestinian citizen of Israel is convicted of spying for Hezbollah. (AP)

Controversy erupts at Yeshiva University because of plans to honor former Pres. Carter, who has been critical of Israeli policies in the occupied Palestinian territories. (New York Times)

Hamas and Fatah are due to resume reconciliation talks in Cairo soon. (Xinhua)

Hamas says it is facing an acute financial crisis. (Xinhua)

A Gaza sailboat collector cannot use his vessels. (CSM)

A US diplomatic cable from 1975 blamed Israel for holding back peace due to its stubborn attitudes. (Jerusalem Post)


COMMENTARY:

Hussein Ibish says Hamas is acting more like the Palestinian fashion police than anything else. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

ATFP Pres. Asali looks of the challenges facing US public diplomacy in the Arab world. (Huffington Post)

UK Amb. to Israel Gould says the future lies in the Palestinian security services being trained in Jericho. (YNet)

Christa Case Bryant thinks Kerry has a real chance of securing Israeli-Palestinian peace (CSM)

Osama Al Sharif thinks Kerry faces an uphill battle. (Jordan Times)

Rami Khouri says Kerry needs to remember Deir Yassin. (The Daily Star)

Zvi Bar'el says the Israeli center needs to focus on the economic costs of occupation and the settlements. (Ha'aretz)

Adam Gonn argues Turkey's rapprochement with Israel isn't going very well. (Xinhua)

F. Stephen Larrabee agrees that Israeli-Turkish rapprochement will be slow because of the way tensions unfolded over a long period of time. (CSM)

The National says Palestinians can benefit from Israeli-Turkish rapprochement, especially if it means Turkish pressure on Israel. (The National)

Adnan Abu Amer says Turkey's rapprochement with Israel pushes it away from Hamas. (Al Monitor)

Sefi Rachlevsky profiles an extremist new Israeli MK, Ruth Calderon. (Ha'aretz)

Neri Zilber profiles "the most powerful woman in Israel": Sara Netanyahu. (Foreign Policy)

Browse the World Press Round Up Archives

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