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News:
Jordan again expresses concern that peace between Israel and the Palestinians will come at its expense. (The Washington Post)
Palestinian refugees hail Jordan’s position on the Palestinian issue. (The Jordan Times)
A senior Fatah leader says peace deal is within reach. (Al-Monitor)
PM Netanyahu accuses EU Parliament Pres. Schulz of “selective hearing.” (Ha’aretz)
Israeli MK Kalfa endorses a one-state agenda. (Ha’aretz)
The UN Middle East envoy is concerned over the deteriorating situation in the Gaza strip. (Xinhua/Ynet)
Hamas says it will violently confront any peace deal that might be reached. (Xinhua)
Netanyahu rejects the draft of a reconciliation agreement with Turkey. (Ynet)
Israel admits 35 Palestinian patients from Gaza after initially barring them. (Reuters/Ma’an/The New York Times)
Israeli occupation forces detain 12 Palestinians in overnight raids in the West Bank. (Ma’an)
Israeli occupation forces fire tear gas canisters into four schools in East Jerusalem. (Ma’an)
Dozens of Palestinians are held in PA jails on suspicion of fighting in Syria. (Times of Israel)
Two thirds of children killed in Israeli traffic accidents in 2013 were Arab citizens. (Ha’aretz)
A Jewish vintner in a West Bank settlement faces increasing pressure agaist selling his products in Israel. (AP) 
Believing the imminent arrival of the “Jewish Messiah,” many religious Jews are scrambling to secure residence in Jerusalem. (The Christian Science Monitor)
VP Biden and King Abdullah of Jordan meet to discuss the Syrian civil war. (AP)
Syrian government airstrikes kill 51 people in Aleppo. (AP)
The Syrian opposition presents a peace plan that omits a demand for Pres. Assad. (The New York Times)
Pres. Putin backs Gen. Sissi’s for the Egyptian presidency. (AP)
Bomb blasts kill five people in Iraq. (AP)
Hundreds of escaped Iraqi inmates fuel the Syrian and Iraqi insurgencies. (The New York Times)
Kuwait describes its relations with Iran as “excellent, historical and developing.” (The National)
Turkish police fire tear gas at Ankara protesters. (AFP)
 
Commentary:
The Jordan Times echoes Pres. Abbas spokesman’s pessimism on peace talks, and calls for a “serious and decisive” American intervention. (The Jordan Times)
Eylon Aslan-Levy accuses Israeli Economy Minister Bennett of having “bad manners.” (The Times of Israel) 
Gershon Baskin says Israel will be blamed for the failure of Kerry’s initiative if the Palestinains decide to reject it. (Jerusalem Post)
 Ari Shavit gives four reasons why Israel should be recognized as a “Jewish state.” (Ha’aretz) 
Gideon Levy says Kerry’s initiative is exploiting Palestinian weaknesses and its success will be a “disaster.” (Ha’aretz)
Alan Dershowitz says the BDS movement is threatening the peace process. (Ha’aretz)
Emily Hauser asks why the Israeli media are not covering Palestinian peaceful protests. (The Forward)
Gidon Bromberg says Israelis and Palestinians should keep water scarcity in the occupied West Bank out of politics. (The Times of Israel) 
Asmaa al-Ghoul says Hamas is becoming isolated as Iran boosts its ties with Fatah and Islamic Jihad. (Al-Monitor)
Pres. Obama and Pres. Hollande call on the international community to save the Syrian people from dictatorship and terrorism. (The Washington Post)  
Aaron David Miller says Iran is the reason why Obama refuses to be involved in Syria. (Foreign Policy)
The Washington Post asks if Obama is rethinking his policy on Syria. (The Washington Post)
The National says Saudi Arabia is seeking new allies to offset a perceived American tilt toward Iran. (The National)
H A Hellyer says the Egypt presidential election offers hope. (The National)
Mushreq Abbas says the Anbar crisis was never purely military crisis. (Al-Monitor)
News:
Palestinian negotiator Erekat says PM Netanyahu needs to prepare the Israeli public for difficult concessions. (The Jerusalem Post) 
Sec. Kerry briefs King Abdullah of Jordan on the peace talks. (The Jordan Times) 
Israeli Economy Minister Bennett walks out of the Knesset when European Parliament Pres. Schultz discusses Palestinian freedom of movement. (Ha’aretz/The Jerusalem Post)
An Israeli bill on a peace deal referendum edges closer to becoming law.(Ha’aretz/The Jerusalem Post)
Israel advances with plans to build a Jewish seminary in East Jerusalem.(AP)
PM Erdogan says a rapprochement with Israel will be contingent upon removing the siege on Gaza. (The Jerusalem Post)
Israeli Aerospace Industries unveils its new Super Heron drone. (Times of Israel)
Israeli forces demolish tents set up by Palestinian residents in the Jordan River Valley. (Ma’an)
Israeli occupation forces detain five Palestinian teenagers in Jerusalem. (Ma’an)
The first female high tech entrepreneur in the occupied West Bank signals new job hopes for Palestinian women. (AP)
68 patients from Gaza are denied access into Israel for holding documents using the term “State of Palestine.”(Xinhua)
One Palestinian family is behind the West Bank’s best soccer team.(AP)
Two Texas universities debate boycotting  Israel. (AP)
The Syrian regime attacks the town of Yabroud to assert control over the Lebanese-Syrian border. (Reuters)
The Syrian regime warns the EU against using its frozen assets to finance the destruction of Syria’s chemical arsenal. (XInhua)
Gen. Sissi will meet with Pres. Putin to discuss an arms deal. (AP)
Egypt detains an Egyptian employee of the US embassy who worked as a liaison to the Muslim Brotherhood. (The New York Times)
Gunmen kill three policemen in Ismailiya. (Ahram)
Human Rights Watch says Egyptian authorities have abandoned the victims of trafficking in Sinai. (Los Angeles Times)
The Lebanese army arrests a Palestinian leader in the Qaeda-linked Abdullah Azzam Brigades. (Naharnet)
Pres. Suleiman and PM Salam will meet to resolve the dispute on the new Lebanese government. (Naharnet)
Qatar scales back its regional ambitions amid financial constraints. (BBC)
Commentary:
Peter Beinart says it’s “Orwellian” to  cast Israel as a “democracy” inspite of the occupation. (Ha’aretz)
Jonathan Cook says the delegitimisation of Israel is already underway and Netanyahu is the one to blame. (The National)
Gil Troy says Israelis should engage in a substantive debate over Kerry’s initiative and avoid personal attacks. (The Jerusalem Post)
Moshe Dann questions whether land claims by Arabs in Palestine are legally valid. (The Jerusalem Post)
Eric Yoffie questions whether Rep. Rand Paul really supports Israel.(Ha’aretz)
Hassan Hassan profiles the Al-Qaeda linked Jabhat Al Nusra in Syria as it navigates local tribal sensitivities in Deir Ezzor. (The National)
Mohammed Al-Harthi argues that Saudi Arabia has made a strategic shift toward the East. (Arab News)
Manal al-Sharif says the abusive 75-year-old Saudi religious police force is starting to crack, thanks to social media. (The New York Times)
Qais Ghanem says the Tunisian success story is an example worthy of emulation by the rest in the Arab world. (The Gulf News)
 
Abdel Monem Said says Sisi should shed the image of the military man and become a politician. (Asharq Alawsat)
Ali Ibrahim says the Egyptian political process will be better served if more politicians run for president. (Asharq Alawsat)
Nathan Brown says a Sissi presidency will start with strong popular support but it will have difficulty meeting popular expectations. (Foreign Policy)
News:
The EU says strengthening its ties with Israel is dependent on the success of the peace talks. (The Jerusalem Post)
A Palestinian official says the framework agreement is doomed to fail. (Reuters)
Chief Palestinian negotiator Erekat says Palestinians will not recognize Israel as a “Jewish state.” (PNN)
Israeli Amb. Dermer defends Sec. Kerry in interviews. (Ha’aretz/The Jerusalem Post)
The Israeli military strikes Gaza in response to a rocket attack. (AP)
Industrial areas in West Bank settlements provide some economic relief to Palestinian workers while undermining their national aspirations. (The New York Times)
The number of Israelis killed in “terror attacks” drops to six in 2013. (Xinhua)
Extremist settlers uproot over 150 olive trees near Bethlehem. (Ma’an)
Israel will allow a shipment of goods to enter the Gaza strip. (Ma’an)
Israeli forces detain three Palestinian fisherman off the coast of Gaza. (Ma’an)
Israeli occupation forces reportedly block a pregnant Palestinian woman from taking the quick route to a hospital in East Jerusalem. (Ha’aretz)
The Syrian forces allow some fighting-age men to leave Homs. (AP)
The Syrian negotiators hold their first face-to-face meeting this month in Geneva. (AP/Reuters/The New York Times)
The Ansar Beit al-Maqdis extremist group blows up a gas pipeline in Sinai. (AP)
The Egyptian government uses UAE funds for a second stimulus package. (The National)
Militants attack military barracks in Iraq, killing 15 people. (AP)
Jordan’s King Abdullah urges Arab and Muslims organizations leaders to support his country’s policies. (The Jordan Times)
Qatar’s World Cup organizers outline new rights for workers.  (AP/The National)
Pres. Rouhani says Iran will pursue “peaceful” nuclear technology. (Xinhua/The Washington Post)
AIPAC has reportedly botched its campaign for more sanctions on Iran. (The Daily Beast)
Commentary:
Roger Cohen says "BDS movement" has a hidden agenda, and its one-state arrangement is an "illusion."
Aaron Magid says both Pres. Abbas and PM Netanyahu’s national and political interests are aligned with responding positively to Kerry’s initiative. (Ha’aretz)
Avraham Burg says the Israeli government is messianic, and Kerry deserves a medal if he succeeds in saving Israel from itself. (Ha’aretz)
Osama al Sharif says it’s better for the Palestinians, Jordanians, and Israelis to preserve the status quo than accepting Kerry’s plan. (Gulf News)
Rami Khouri says the US is finally offering its own proposals for permanent-status arrangements. (The Daily Star)
Naomi Chazan says Israel will no longer be able to avoid paying the price for occupying Palestinian land. (The Times of Israel)
Akiva Eldar says Labor party leader Herzog is now closer to the premiership after adopting the “Jewish state” demand. (Al-Monitor)
Mazal Mualem says FM Liberman is reinventing himself. (Al-Monitor
Sharif Nashashibi says the recent SodaStream controversy shows how boycotts are proving to be the most effective means of achieving Palestinian rights. (Al Arabiya)
Neil Lazarus says Israel is facing a real challenge in winning a new generations of Jewish American college students. (Times of Israel)
Danny Postel and Nader Hashemi say the international community must use force to save the starving Syrians. (The New York Times)
 
The New York Times suggests three steps to achieve a political solution in Syria. (The New York Times)
Hussein Ibish says Gen. Sissi has the same reason to run or not run for Egypt’s presidency: he will win. (Now Lebanon))
Hassan Barari says real democratic reform in Jordan requires a popular culture of tolerance and pluralism. (The Jordan Times)
 
Faisal Al Yafai says the use of sectarianism to understand conflicts in the Middle East is “simplistic” and “flawed.” (The National)
Abdul Rahman Al Rashed says the US has finally discovered that Iran is behind al-Qaeda. (Al Arabiya)
The Gulf News says Iran should stop trying to export its “Islamic Revolution” outside its territory. (The Gulf News)

News:

Fatah considers appointing a deputy to Pres. Abbas. (Times of Israel)

Hamas says it will intensify discussions with Fatah in an effort to promote reconciliation.(Xinhua)

PM Netanyahu will meet Pres. Obama in Washington next month. (Xinhua/Ha’aretz)

The White House reaffirms Obama’s support for Sec. Kerry’s peace efforts. (The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli Economy Minister Bennett claims that well-intentioned peace efforts have the “opposite effect” provoking violence and instability. (Times of Israel)

FM Lieberman praises Kerry’s initiative. (Xinhua)

Israeli security forces are accused of using Palestinian children to gather intelligence. (ABC)

Despite DM Ya’alon’s pledge, unauthorized settlement construction continues in the occupied West Bank. (Ha’aretz)

Israeli ministers reject a controversial bill to annex settlements in the occupied West Bank. (Xinhua)

According to Palestinian factions, a political initiative is underway for rebel fighters to leave the Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria. (Xinhua)

An Israeli military airstrike targeting a Palestinian militant in Gaza leaves two wounded. (AP/The New York Times)

Jewish Israeli “price tag” extremists slash tires and spray graffiti in an Arab neighborhood in Jerusalem. (AP/Ma’an/Ha’aretz)

The PA is planning for an airport in the occupied West Bank and a seaport and railway line in the Gaza strip. (Ma’an/Ynet)

The Syrian peace talks resume in Geneva. (AP/Reuters/The New York Times)

France will introduce a resolution in the UN Security Council to help bring humanitarian aid to the Syrian people. (AP)

A rebel attack on a Syrian Alawite village kills 40 people. (AP)

Egypt accuses the Muslim Brotherhood of forming a military wing. (AP)

A Kuwaiti MP seeks to emulate the Saudi law against citizens fighting abroad. (Reuters)

One of their own truck bombs accidentally kills 25 Al-Qaeda extremists in Iraq. (Xinhua)

Iraqi Shiite militia, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, reportedly admits remobilizing in targeted killing. (The Washington Post)

Tunisia arrests a suspect in the assassination of opposition politician Brahmi. (BBC)

Commentary:

ATFP Pres. Ziad Asali says a new dynamic is developing in the Middle East that has the potential to build a better future for the Arab world. (Asharq Alawsat)

Hussein Ibish says some “BDS” rhetoric is harming European anti-settlement, pro-peace boycotts campaigns.  (The National)

Hanan Ashrawi says BDS empowers Palestinians and worldwide activists to stand for justice and human rights and against settlements. (Ha’aretz)

Moshe Arens says the BDS movement is an attempt to delegitimize Israel. (Ha’aretz)

Peter Joseph and Charles Bronfman say Kerry has proven himself to be a true and loyal friend of Israel. (The Jerusalem Post)

The New York Times says Netanyahu could face the possibility of having to form a new coalition if he really wants to move forward on a peace deal. (The New York Times)

Eitan Haber says Netanyahu will rely on the defense establishment in formulating his response to Kerry’s plan. (Ynet)

Ali Hashem interviews Fatah leader Jibril Rajoub during his visit to Iran. (Al-Monitor)

Oudeh Basharat says Israeli society pays the price for excluding Arabs by embracing racism and discrimination. (Ha’aretz)

The Jordan Times says the Jordanian government will secure its interests in any peace deal between the Palestinians and Israel. (The Jordan Times)

Amer Al Sabaileh complains about the lack of communication between the Jordanian government and the people over Kerry’s initiative. (The Jordan Times)

Renee Ghert-Zand says launching an Arabic site of the The Times of Israel can help build bridges between Jews and Arabs. (Forward)

Bassem Sabry says Gen. Sissi is poised to win presidency if he decides to run in the elections. (Al-Monitor)

Neil Hicks responds to a critical op-ed by Wael Nawara accusing the American “Working Group on Egypt” of offering bad advice. (Al-Monitor)

Ahmed Maher from inside a prison in Egypt accuses the US government of supporting oppression in his country. (The Washington Post)

Manuel Almeida says if Russia manages to maintain influence in Ukraine it might be less committed to Pres. Assad. (Asharq Alawsat)

News:

Israeli occupation forces evacuate Palestinian activists protesting in the West Bank. (AP)

Hamas struggles to rein in armed factions that are not completely under its control. (The Washington Post)

FM Lieberman calls Sec. Kerry a “true friend of Israel” and criticizes Economy Minister Bennett’s comments. (Ha’aretz)

UNRWA announces that a strike by its employees in the West Bank has ended. (The New York Times)

Aid agencies working in the occupied territories express concern over rise in Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes and property.(Reuters)

A Fatah Central Committee delegation arrives in Gaza to examine the state of the parties apparatus in Gaza. (Ma’an)

Malcolm Hoenlein calls on western governments to combat the growing BDS movement. (AP)

Israel is trying to include more Arabs in its tech sector. (AP)

The Syrian government will take part in a second round of peace talks in Geneva. (AP/Reuters)

Syria begins evacuating civilians from a besieged area in Homs. (Reuters)

The Syrian rebels free hundreds of prisoners in an attack on a prison. (AP)

A bombing and a shooting kill six people in Iraq. (AP/Xinhua)

A blast hits two police vehicles injuring six people in Egypt. (Xinhua)

PM Zeidan calls on Libyans to avoid violence in settling a standoff over the interim parliament. (Reuters)

World leaders attend a ceremony for the formal adoption of the new Tunisian Constitution. (AP/AFP)
 

Commentary:

The Jordan Times says no one will fooled by Netanyahu’s “Jewish state” demand. (The Jordan Times)

Ahmad Majdoubeh says Kerry’s plan is the last chance to rescue the two-state solution. (The Jordan Times)

Bakir Oweida says Kerry’s plan will likely fail, and the Palestinians and Israelis will have to coexist anyway. (Asharq Alawsat)

Yehezkel Dror says Israel should seize the opportunity in the changing Middle East for peace and reform. (Ha'aretz)

Rami Khouri says the SodaStream controversy highlights important Palestinian and international activism against the Israeli occupation. (The Jordan Times)

David Landau uses excerpts from Jewish religious texts to show how Israeli incitement works. (Ha'aretz)

Ha'aretz says a new proposed bill forcing schools to present Israel as a "Jewish state" is anti-democratic. (Ha'aretz)

Harold James says the Syrian war could have dire global consequences. (The Daily Star)

Michael Young says US Syria policy is in total meltdown. (The Daily Star)

Anne Applebaum likens Pres. Assad starving Syrians to killing them with a low-tech weapon of mass destruction. (The Washington Post)

Alan Philps says Russia is being seen as a supporter of Assad’s “kneel or starve” policy in Syria. (The National)

Sherif Mansour says arrests of journalists in Egypt are an attempt to bring back “Mubarak-era repression.” (The Washington Post)

Vivek Wadhwa says social media is excellent for democracy, but terrorists are also using it. (The Gulf News)

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