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NEWS:
 
Several Palestinians are injured by Israeli occupation forces during Nakba day protests in the West Bank. (Ma'an)
 
Hundreds of Arab and Jewish students commemorate the Nakba at Tel Aviv University. (Xinhua)
 
Pres. Putin and PM Netanyahu discuss Syria. (AP)
 
Israel is moving to bolster the Palestinian economy and build ties to the PA. (Xinhua)
 
Israel shuts Gaza's only commercial crossing for Jewish holidays. (Xinhua)
 
Human rights groups say Pres. Abbas is preparing to criminalize torture. (Ma'an)
 
Palestinians say settlers burn fields near Nablus. (Ma'an)
 
Jewish extremists are accused of "price tag" attacks inside Israel and the occupied territories. (Ma'an)
 
A Palestinian man convicted of hijacking a plane in 1968 has been deported from Canada after 26 years in prison. (AP)
 
In remarks targeted mainly at the Syrian regime, Hamas says it rejects the rule of any Arab state over Palestinians. (Xinhua)
 
Netanyahu is under fire for his allegedly "costly lifestyle" at the public expense. (AP)
 
Israeli occupation authorities plan to build about 1,000 Palestinian homes in "Area C." (Jerusalem Post)
 
 
COMMENTARY:
 
Shlomi Eldar says he knows the basics of Sec. Kerry's peace proposal. (Al Monitor)
 
Ami Ayalon says the recent Arab League statement on land swaps was nothing new. (Ha'aretz)
 
Anshel Pfeffer is concerned about the dreams some Israelis have to destroy Muslim holy places and replace them with a Jewish temple. (Ha'aretz)
 
Linah Alsaafin says the PA is struggling to find a way to stop Israeli expansion in the occupied Jordan Valley. (Al Monitor)
 
Hilary Rose and Steven Rose say Steven Hawking's boycott of an Israeli government conference was significant because of the importance of science to Israel's economy. (The Guardian)
 
Steve Caplan says Hawking should have gone to Israel and listened to Israelis and Palestinians. (The Guardian)
 
Moshe Arens says Israel is already a binational state and must do more to integrate its Arab citizens. (Ha'aretz)
 
Abeer Ayyoub says Palestinians were divided over the visit of Islamist cleric Qaradawi to Gaza. (Al Monitor)
 
Elisheva Goldberg says a new candidate for Sephardi Chief Rabbi in Israel is a noted anti-Arab racist. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)
 
Bernard Avishai says Israelis need to rethink the interplay between peace and security in light of regional instability. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)
 
Larry Diamond says Israel and its neighbors desperately need a US-brokered two-state solution. (The Atlantic)
 
Ori Nir says Israelis and others need to stop pretending the occupation is normal or routine. (Chicago Tribune)

 

NEWS:
 
In comments directed towards Israel, Hezbollah claims Syria will provide it with "game changing" weapons. (New York Times)
 
Sec. Kerry and Pres. Abbas discuss peace in a phone call. (Xinhua)
 
Israeli officials suggest talks with Palestinians may resume in June. (YNet)
 
Palestinian officials say Kerry may present a new peace proposal in early June. (The Media Line)
 
Sec. Hagel says the US is determined to support its Middle East allies, including Israel and Egypt. (JTA)
 
El Salvador is set to establish diplomatic relations with Palestine. (JTA)
 
Israel arrests 13 Palestinians, and, in a separate incident, a PA security officer, in the occupied West Bank. (Xinhua/Ma'an)
 
In a visit to Gaza, the prominent Doha-based Islamist cleric Qaradawi rejects Israel's existence. (AP)
 
PLO officials say Israel's latest settlement announcement "sabotages" the possibility of new peace talks. (AFP)
 
Palestinians say they have called for an emergency Arab League meeting to discuss Jerusalem. (Ma'an)
 
With no actual elections in sight, the Palestinian "reality" TV show, "The President," is a big hit. (AP)
 
The boycott of an Israeli government conference by cosmologist Stephen Hawking gives new prominence to the BDS campaign. (CSM)
 
Israelis are more confident in Pres. Obama than Palestinians, but both want him to take the lead on peace. (JTA/Jerusalem Post)
 
Young Palestinians and Israeli settlers hold a rare meeting to discuss coexistence in occupied Hebron. (Ma'an)
 
 
COMMENTARY:
 
Lior Akerman, a former senior Israeli security official, says PM Fayyad's resignation is a loss for both Israelis and Palestinians. (Jerusalem Post)
 
Guy Bechor says Israel shouldn't go forward with new peace talks until Palestinians hold a new national election. (YNet)
 
Jonathan Cook says Israel isn't interested in a negotiated agreement with the Palestinians. (The National)
 
Nir Hasson says the construction of Route 20 in northern Jerusalem makes any future division of the city far more difficult. (Ha'aretz)
 
Bradley Burston says extreme right-wing "pro-Israel" advocacy is often just self-defeating hate speech. (Ha'aretz)
 
Jennifer Lipman says Hawking's boycott of an Israeli government conference won't inform or change anyone's views. (The Guardian)
 
The Economist says the boycott campaign can carry a heavy price for some Palestinians. (The Economist)
 
Eyad Abu Shakra says Israel's air strike in Syria was designed to send multiple messages to various parties, and seems successful. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
 
Asmaa al-Ghoul says Palestinian Islamic Jihad is reshaping and intensifying its political profile. (Al Monitor)
 
Akiva Eldar says "Jerusalem Day" means nothing when it's not celebrated by 67% of its residents. (Al Monitor)
 
Nadav Eyal says PM Netanyahu is striking a different tone on peace these days, probably in response to US policy. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)
 
Nick Witney and Daniel Levy say, if Europe is going to make a difference, it's going to have to really oppose Israeli expansionism. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

 

NEWS:
 
President Obama and PM Netanyahu discuss regional security and Middle East peace in a phone call. (Reuters)
 
Sec. Kerry will visit the Middle East again in two weeks and reiterates there is a short windowfor renewed peace efforts. (AP)
 
Former Pres. Clinton will also visit Israel in June. (Xinhua)
 
China is also attempting to begin to become a player in Middle East peace. (New York Times/AP)
 
The State Department urges respect for freedom of worship after charges Israel restricted Palestinian Christian travel to Jerusalem this Easter. (JTA)
 
A senior figure in the Israeli Shas party urges Netanyahu to adopt the Arab League peace initiative. (Ha'aretz)
 
Israeli media reports the government has approved 296 new settlement housing units near Ramallah. (Ma'an)
 
Israel releases the grand mufti of Jerusalem after questioning. (New York Times)
 
Young Palestinians clash with Israeli occupation forces at the Al Aqsa mosque compound. (Ma'an)
 
Pres. Peres assures Jordan that Israel will honor agreements regarding holy sites. (Jerusalem Post)
 
The UN decries rising poverty in occupied East Jerusalem. (Al Jazeera)
 
Fatah officials say Palestinians don't take orders from the Syrian regime. (Jerusalem Post)
 
Physicist Stephen Hawking confirms his refusal to attend an Israeli government conference is in protest against its policies towards the Palestinians. (New York Times/AP)
 
Hawking's critics say if he wants to boycott Israel he should stop using Israeli technology in his communications equipment. (The Guardian)
 
An Israeli human rights group says half the Palestinians killed in Israel's last Gaza operationwere civilians. (Ha'aretz)
 
Israel launches its first automated drone. (Xinhua)
 
Doha-based Islamist cleric Qaradawi visits Gaza, which Fatah condemns. (AFP/Jerusalem Post)
 
A parliamentary delegation from Bahrain is also visiting Gaza. (Ma'an)
 
Jordanian prisoners are hunger-striking against the peace treaty with Israel. (The Media Line)
 
Hamas says it's trying to root out Israeli spy networks in Gaza. (Reuters)
 
China and Israel set up a task force to increase trade. (South China Morning Post)
 
 
Palestinians report there are growing indications of oil in the occupied West Bank, which Israel may be quietly exploiting. (UPI)
 
Egypt summons the Israeli ambassador over alleged mistreatment of Egyptian staff at the embassy in Tel Aviv. (Xinhua)
 
The Israeli state may be considering closer ties with J Street. (YNet)
 
 
COMMENTARY:
 
Lara Friedman says it's completely wrong to think Netanyahu has frozen settlement construction or expansion. (Daily Beast/Open Zion) 
 
The CSM profiles Palestinian activist turned scholar Mohammed Dajani. (Christian Science Monitor)
 
Ha'aretz says proposed new legislation in Israel would undemocratically stifle criticism of Israeli military actions. (Ha'aretz)
 
Chemi Shalev says Hawking is now the "unlikely poster child" of the boycott movement. (Ha'aretz)
 
Carlo Strenger accuses Hawking of hypocrisy. (Ha'aretz)
 
Ben White says Hawking should be commended for his boycott. (Al Jazeera)
 
Gershon Baskin says there is nothing "united" about Jerusalem under Israeli rule. (Jerusalem Post)
 
Gil Troy calls Israeli "price tag" vigilantes "morally bankrupt, politically foolish criminals." (Jerusalem Post)
 
Xinhua asks why Syria isn't responding to Israel's airstrike. (Xinhua)
 
Aaron David Miller says Kerry is right to try to get Arab states involved in the peace process, but is unlikely to succeed, and only the Israelis and the Palestinians can really make it happen. (Foreign Policy)
 
Brent Sasley says an Israeli law mandating a referendum on any peace agreement is a bad idea. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)
 
George Hishmeh says Israel's airstrike in Syria was designed to undermine the prospects of new peace talks. (Gulf News)
 
Abdullah Iskandar says Israel had no right to attack Syria. (Al Hayat)
 
Nassif Hitti says the Arab League can help Israelis and Palestinians negotiate. (Al Monitor)
 
Douglas Bloomfield says the Arab League has to get involved in a meaningful way. (Jerusalem Post)
 
Ron Kampeas says Qatar is trying to make its name as a Middle East peacemaker. (JTA)
 
Badar Salem looks at the myriad challenges faced by gay Palestinians. (Al Bawaba)
NEWS:
 
Pres. Abbas is visiting China and seeking diplomatic support there. (New York Times/Ma'an)
 
PM Netanyahu is also visiting China, focusing on economic issues, but is joined by the head of Israel's military intelligence. (AP/Ha'aretz)
 
China's hosting of the two leaders indicates a desire for a larger Middle East role. (AP)
 
Syria blames Israel for an air raid against targets near Damascus. (New York Times)
 
The attack prompts anger and threats in Syria, which says "all options are open." (AP/Washington Post)
 
Syria accuses Israel of using depleted uranium shells during the attack, and of aiding Al Qaeda. (Jerusalem Post/Asharq Al-Awsat)
 
Israeli reaction focuses on growing tensions with Syria. (AP)
 
Israel cancels civil air flights in its northern regions due to growing tensions along the frontiers with Syria and Lebanon. (Xinhua)
 
Many see a message in the action to Iran. (New York Times)
 
The airstrike highlights conundrums faced by the Arab League. (AP)
 
Tensions grow in the West Bank as 1000 Israeli right-wingers and troops visit a holy site. (Ma'an)
 
Israel allows the children of prisoners from Gaza to visit them. (Xinhua)
 
Hamas says two of its senior officials were denied entry into Egypt. (Ma'an)
 
The EU contributes €20 million to the PA to help pay April public sector employee salaries. (PNN)
 
The PLO denies Al Qaeda is operating in the Ain Al-Hilweh refugee camp in south Lebanon. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
 
 
COMMENTARY:
 
AP examines why Israel would attack Syria now. (AP)
 
The National says the Israeli airstrike complicates an already messy situation. (The National)
 
Barak Ravid says Netanyahu is making clear to Pres. Assad that Israel's only interest is in preventing weapons transfers to Hezbollah. (Ha'aretz)
 
Ben Caspit says, among other things, Israel is sending a message to Iran. (Al Monitor)
 
Kais Firro says the attack may actually play into Assad's hands. (Al Monitor)
 
Linda Gradstein asks Hezbollah is likely to retaliate against Israel. (The Media Line)
 
Chemi Shalev says the combination of Israeli action and American inaction in Syria has put growing pressure on Pres. Obama. (Ha'aretz)
 
Amir Oren recounts a conversation between Golda Meir and Henry Kissinger in 1974. (Ha'aretz)
 
Ian Black says a new, post-Oslo model for peace is required. (The Guardian)
 
Adnan Abu Amer interviews Hamas leader Mishaal, who says US peace efforts will fail. (Al Monitor)
 
Adel Safty asks why, if Netanyahu is really interested in peace, he continues to build settlements. (Gulf News)
 
The Daily Star says the Arab League should pay more attention to what the Palestinians want. (The Daily Star)
 
Musa Keilani says Netanyahu doesn't want to relinquish any occupied territories and wants Palestinians to accept that. (Jordan Times)
 
Rami Khouri says the revival of the old peace process will yield the same failed results. (The Daily Star)

 

NEWS:
 
Israel's chief negotiator Livni meets Sec. Kerry in Washington. (Ha'aretz)
 
Palestinian officials say they expect the United States to pressure Pres. Abbas to resume talks with Israel. (Xinhua)
 
Fatah officials say it's too early to speak concretely about land swaps with Israel. (Ma'an)
 
Hamas rejects the recent Arab League statement endorsing land swaps between Israel and the Palestinians. (Xinhua)
 
China offers to broker a meeting between Abbas and PM Netanyahu. (JTA)
 
Sec. Hagel reportedly suggests to Israeli officials that a military option against Iran might be considered after that country's presidential election. (Ha'aretz)
 
The US has reportedly upgraded a bunker buster bomb within eye to action in Iran. (Jerusalem Post)
 
Five Palestinian refugees are injured in an explosion in Lebanon. (Xinhua)
 
Dozens of Palestinian journalists protest Israeli restrictions in the occupied West Bank. (PNN)
 
The relatives of prisoners criticize a PA decision to stop paying Israeli court imposed fines. (Ma'an)
 
Settlers protest the raising of a new outpost in the occupied West Bank. (Jerusalem Post)
 
The father of a Palestinian man accused of stabbing an Israeli settler says he's proud of his son. (Jerusalem Post)
 
The PA is working to include the word Palestine in Internet lists and domains. (Xinhua)
 
 
Netanyahu is visiting China with an emphasis on economic ties. (AP)
 
A disabled baby from Gaza is living in an Israeli hospital. (AP)
 
An alleged beating by PA police may have cost a man his ability to speak. (Al Monitor)
 
A new Church of Scotland report on Israel's biblical claims angers many. (Ha'aretz)
 
The National profiles a Palestinian singer from Gaza from the Arab Idol TV show. (The National)
 
Al Quds University in occupied East Jerusalem is looking for official recognition from Israel's educational authorities. (Al Monitor)
 
A paralyzed photographer's story highlights the challenges facing disabled Palestinians. (Al Monitor)
 
 
COMMENTARY:
 
The New York Times says the recent Arab League statement on land swaps is a welcome move. (New York Times)
 
The Jordan Times says Israel needs to respond to the overture. (Jordan Times)
 
Akiva Eldar says Netanyahu's ideology will prevent him from responding positively to the Arab League statement. (Al Monitor)
 
Brent Sasley says, despite conventional wisdom, this is an opportune time for new peace talks. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)
 
Shlomi Eldar looks at Qatar's bewildering multiple policies, including on Israeli-Palestinian peace. (Al Monitor)
 
Yaakov Lappin says Iran and Egypt are locked in a power struggle over influence in Gaza. (Jerusalem Post)
 
Anshel Pfeffer says the BDS campaign is doing harm to Israel by strengthening the settler movement. (Ha'aretz)
 
The Economist says Jewish settlements are driving away Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. (The Economist)
 
Hillel Halkin says Israel was right not to return the occupied Golan Heights to Syria, given the chaos in that country now. (The Forward)
 
Mohammed Suliman says most Palestinian factions in Gaza want to maintain the cease-fire with Israel in spite of a recent assassination. (Al Monitor)
 
Alan Dershowitz says it's disgraceful that some Jews would boo efforts to make peace with Palestinians. (Jerusalem Post)
 
Adam Simpson says narratives, not money, determine the influence of the pro-Israel lobby in the United States. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)
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