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News:
Pope Francis says Israeli and Palestinian leaders must respond to their people’s yearning for peace. (Reuters/AP/New York Times/AFP/Ha’aretz/Ynet/Times of Israel/The National)
Israel seeks the return of PA forces to Gaza. (Ha’aretz)
European Commission Chief Barroso says the new Palestinian government must be supported. (AFP)
PM Netanyahu’s office says Israel will not unilaterally withdraw from the occupied West Bank. (Times of Israel)
Finance Minister Lapid calls settlement construction in the occupied West Bank a “waste of money.” (AP/Xinhua/JTA)
FM Lieberman says annexation is inapplicable to Israel's current situation with the Palestinians. (Jerusalem Post/Times of Israel)
Israeli Interior Minister Sa’ar dismisses the idea of an independent Palestinian state, but calls for Jordan to play an integral part in solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Times of Israel)
UN Envoy Serry meets in Gaza with four ministers of the new Palestinian government. (Ma’an/AP)
Banks in Gaza remain closed as a crisis over salaries continues to challenge the new Palestinian government. (Ma’an)
The new Palestinian government brings rare hope for refugees. (The National)
Human Rights Watch says the killing of two Palestinian teenagers during a protest in the occupied West Bank might constitute an Israeli war crime. (Reuters)
Egypt is reportedly willing to permanently open the Rafah crossing. (Ma’an)
The Israeli parliament will vote for a new president. (AP)
Sec. Clinton writes in her memoir that she disapproved of early efforts by the Obama White House to push Israel toward a complete freeze of settlement activity. (Jerusalem Post/AP)
Pres. Assad declares a general amnesty for prisoners in Syria. (AP/Xinhua)
Hezbollah leader Nasrallah calls on the US to talk to Assad if it wants to settle the crisis in Syria. (Washington Post)
Lebanese Druze leader Jumblatt says Hezbollah’s intervention in Syria was a “moral mistake.” (The National)
Pres. Sisi promises to rule Egypt in an inclusive manner. (Reuters/AP/New York Times/The National)
The inauguration highlights Sisi’s shaky international standing. (Reuters)
Egypt arrests seven men for sexually assaulting a student during celebration of the inauguration of Sisi. (AP)
Libya’s Supreme Court rules the GNC’s election of PM Maiteeq was unconstitutional.  (Reuters)
The UAE issues a law requiring compulsory military service for adult males. (AP)
Commentary:
Hussein Ibish says Australia's decision to no longer call East Jerusalem occupied is an attack on international law and order.(The National)
The Christian Science Monitor says the Vatican prayers for the Middle East serve as a reminder of the universal desire for peace. (Christian Science Monitor)
Hazem Balousha says Hamas seeks to reclaim political influence by using the PLO.  (Al-Monitor)
Gabriel Webber says students in the UK have defeated BDS by bringing pro-Israel and pro-Palestine students together. (Ha’aretz)
Roger Cohen says comparing Israel to apartheid South Africa is a “moral calumny.”(New York Times)
Jose Manuel Barroso says without progress in the peace negotiations, the EU’s growing cooperation with Israel will be greatly complicated. (Ha’aretz) 
Dani Dayan proposes a plan to “create a new civil reality” in the occupied West Bank. (New York Times)
Ben Caspit says Netanyahu’s political fortunes depend on maintaining relations with Washington. (Al-Monitor)
S. Daniel Abraham asks if Israelis really want a “Jewish state.” (Ha’aretz)
Shlomo Ben-Ami says the collapse of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations should spur a fundamental reconsideration of a paradigm of peace making.  (Jordan Times)
Abdul Rahman Al Rashed asks how will Sisi confront the accumulated economic failures threatening Egypt and his presidency. (Al Arabiya)
H.A. Hellyer says Egyptians want change but it’s  not clear how much change they want, at what pace, and what they are willing to give up for it. (Al Arabiya)
Faisal Abbas write a letter to Sisi. (Al Arabiya)
Amina Al-Naqqash and Mohamed Abu Hamed debate whether Sisi will prioritize foreign policy or balance domestic and foreign policies. (Asharq al-Awsat)
Rami Khouri says the recent elections in the Arab world raise questions about Arab democracy. (Daily Star)
Amer Al Sabaileh says Jordan should adopt new and flexible strategies that guarantees it a role in the region. (Jordan Times)
The Jordan Times says Prince Zeid’s nomination to the post of UN High Commissioner for human rights is a national and personal achievement. (Jordan Times)
William Hague and Angelina Jolie say it is in our power to remove rape as a weapon of war from the world’s “arsenal of cruelty.” (The National)
News:
Israel’s settlement plans are condemned by the international community. (AFP/Times of Israel)
The US says its “deeply disappointed” by Israel’s plan to issue new building tenders in the occupied Palestinian territories. (Times of Israel)
The EU urges Israel to reverse its decision to build 1500 new settlement housing units. (Ma’an/Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post/Ynet)
Israeli officials tell the EU to focus on Syria and not on settlements. (Ha’aretz)
PM Netanyahu will convene a team of ministers to discuss additional measures against the new Palestinian government. (Ha’aretz)
DM Ya’alon says the new Palestinian government is presenting a “facade” and not truly interested in peace with Israel. (Jerusalem Post)
A poll indicates most Israeli Jews oppose unilateral actions in the occupied West Bank. (Ha’aretz)
A major challenge for Palestinian reconciliation involves dealing with the case of settling hundreds killed in fighting. (AP/Times of Israel)
The EU donates $335 million to UNRWA. (JTA)
The Red Cross visits the families of hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners to carry messages from their relatives. (Ma’an)
Jerusalem is picked as the capital of Islamic tourism for 2016 by the Organization for Islamic Cooperation. (Ha’aretz)
Israel is building a farm on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. (Ha’aretz)
The Palestinian national soccer team achieves its highest-ever FIFA ranking. (Ma’an)
Pres. Assad praises the Syrian election and Iran. (New York Times)
Pres. Peres tells Pres. Sisi that Israel remains committed to peace with Egypt. (Jerusalem Post/Reuters)
Egypt’s outgoing Pres. Mansour decrees sexual harassment a crime punishable by up to five years in prison. (AP)
Egyptian political parties are concerned over a draft parliamentary election law. (Reuters)
A poll indicates 40 percent of Iranians would be willing to give up a nuclear weapons program in return for the full removal of sanctions. (New York Times)
 
Commentary:
The Washington Post says the White House is right to work with the new Palestinian government. (Washington Post)
Bernard Avishai says Pres. Abbas is enhancing his popularity through forming the new Palestinian government. (New Yorker)
The Jordan Times says the international community has “unveiled” Netanyahu’s true intentions  by offering to work with the new Palestinian government. (Jordan Times)
Ha’aretz says Netanyahu must change his attitude to the new Palestinian government. (Ha’aretz)
Shmuel Rosner says Israel should not annex the occupied West Bank. (New York Times)
Shlomi Eldar interviews former Fatah official Sufian Abu Zaida. (Al-Monitor)
Adnan Abu Amer says Hamas sees a visit to Russia as a means to end its regional isolation. (Al-Monitor)
Botros Mansour says Israel’s attempts to attract Palestinian Christian citizens of Israel to voluntary military service will see limited success. (Al-Monitor)
The National says the US has not only refused to act on Syria but has also prevented its allies from doing so. (The National)
Raed Omari says Europe’s proximity to Syria presents serious dangers from the conflict. (Al Arabiya)
The Daily Star says the Syrian regime is detached from reality, by insisting on having a role in the choice of a new Lebanese president. (Daily Star)
Hanin Ghaddar says, if you are a Shiite in Lebanon, you must “surrender” your life to the resistance. (Now)
Samir Salha says Turkish–Israeli relations have always been influenced and affected by their relations with other states. (Asharq al-Awsat)
Mary Fitzgerald asks if Gen. Haftar is finally reining in out-of-control Islamist militias. (Foreign Policy)

News:

Israel advances plans for 1500 new settlement housing units in the occupied Palestinian territories. (AP/AFP/PNN/Ha’aretz/JTA/The National)

The PLO will appeal to the UNSC over Israel’s settlement plans. (Ma’an/Xinhua)

Israeli Chief Negotiator Livni says settlement building is a “diplomatic mistake.”(Jerusalem Post)

US Amb. to Israel Shapiro condemns Israel’s new settlement plans. (Jerusalem Post/Times of Israel)

The US has reportedly been speaking to Hamas through back channels for more than six months. (Ynet/Buzzfeed)

Sec. Kerry defends the US decision to work with a new Palestinian government. (AP/Ha’aretz)

The White House says Israel’s “hard line public position” on the new Palestinian government isbelied by its own actions. (Ha’aretz)

The question of Hamas is the latest dispute between the US and Israel. (New York Times)

Pres. Abbas will reportedly seek to secure an Egyptian role in supervising reconciliation with Hamas. (Ma’an)

The Australian government will no longer refer to East Jerusalem as a territory under occupation. (Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Clashes break out in Gaza as PA public employees attempt to withdraw their salaries from ATM machines. (Reuters/Ma’an)

Abbas urges the new Palestinian government and the Central Elections Commission to start preparing for the upcoming elections. (Xinhua)

PM Hamdallah urges the international community to pressure Israel to allow elections to take place in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ma’an)

An Israeli military court says Palestinian minors have the right to see a social worker before remand. (Ha’aretz)

Jewish “price tag” extremists set fire to dozens of olive trees in the occupied West Bank. (Ma’an) 

Pres. Assad is re-elected in a landslide. (AP/Reuters/New York Times/The National)

Kerry calls the Syrian election a “great big zero.” (Washington Post)

UN Humanitarian Chief Amos tells Assad to put his country's people first. (Reuters)

Chinese Pres. Xi calls for a political resolution for Syria. (Reuters)

Ayatollah Khamenei says Pres. Obama has taken the option of military intervention to resolve conflicts off the table. (New York Times)
 

Commentary:

The LA Times says the US should continue to support the PA. (Los Angeles Times)

Akiva Eldar says the Arab Peace Initiative is Israel’s best option. (Al-Monitor)

Khaled Diab says the Palestinian literature festival demonstrates that “the pen is mightier than the sword.” (The National)

Salman Masalha says, despite the new x-ray machines, the “brutal treatment” of Palestinian citizens of Israel at Ben-Gurion Airport continues. (Ha’aretz)

The Jordan Times says the Syrian presidential election was a “sham.” (Jordan Times)

Rachel Brandenburg says the amount of assistance required to meet the basic needs of Syrians affected by the conflict is astounding. (Foreign Policy)

Faisal Al Yafai says, before his assassination, Lebanese journalist Samir Kassir foresaw the extent of Assad’s brutality in Syria. (The National)

The Daily Star says the timing of Kerry’s visit to Lebanon is significant and so is his message. (Daily Star)

Joyce Karam says Kerry in Lebanon looked more like a spectator than a problem solver. (Al Arabiya)

Michael Young says focusing on Hezbollah, may tell us what the ultimate outcome will be in the Lebanese presidency. (Daily Star)

News:
The PA says PM Netanyahu has failed to isolate the new Palestinian government. (Ma’an)
The State Department says it will judge the new Palestinian government based on itsactions. (Ha’aretz/Ynet/Jerusalem Post/Times of Israel)
India, China and Turkey endorse the new Palestinian government. (Ha’aretz)
Israeli restrictions prevent the first cabinet meeting for the new Palestinian ministers in Gaza. (Ma’an/Ha’aretz)
Israel officially notifies the PA about its sanctions against the Palestinians. (Ma’an)
Israeli doctors say they will not force-feed Palestinian prisoners. (AP/Ha’aretz)
The PLO says Israel is responsible for the lives of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike. (Ma’an)
Jordan condemns Israeli actions at the Al-Aqsa mosque, after Israeli police limit Muslim access to the holy site. (Times of Israel)
Allies of Pres. Assad praise the vote of the Syrian presidential election. (AP)
The Syrian presidential election sends a powerful signal of Assad’s control. (Washington Post/The National/AFP)
Sec. Kerry arrives in Lebanon to meet with PM Salam, Speaker Berri and Maronite Patriarch Rai. (Daily Star)
Lebanon appeals for more international support to prevent economic collapse amid the refugee crisis. (Xinhua)
Pres. Sisi tells Egyptians it is now “time to work” to rebuild the economy. (AP)
The White House welcomes Sisi’s election but expresses concerns about the "restrictive political environment." (Reuters)
Gen. Haftar survives a suicide attack in his residence in Benghazi. (AP/Reuters)
Algeria’s FM Lamamra says the Arab Spring has increased the influence and power of terror groups. (AP) 
Turkey restores access to YouTube. (AP/Xinhua)
Commentary:
Rami Khouri says the new Palestinian government offers important new possibilities. (Daily Star)
The National says the focus of the new Palestinian government needs to be the creation of a Palestinian state. (The National)
Yossi Mekelberg says the new Palestinian government was born as a matter of urgent necessity for the Palestinians. (Al Arabiya)
Peter Beinart says many from Netanyahu’s coalition would not pass his litmus test on peace for Hamas. (Ha’aretz)
Ben Caspit says FM Lieberman is offering a plan for open contacts with moderate Arab states. (Al-Monitor)
Ali Ibrahim says Hamas has learned a lesson from Tunisia’s Ennahda party. (Asharq al-Awsat)
Ehud Yaari says Hamas is opting for the Hezbollah model. (Times of Israel)
The New York Times says the significance of the Syrian election is that Assad remains in power and is unlikely to leave anytime soon. (New York Times)
Abdul Rahman Al Rashed believes Sisi will bolster support for Egypt’s closest allies such as Saudi Arabia, and support the Syrian revolution. (Al Arabiya)
The Daily Star says Assad’s “clear-cut victory” is against Syria and the Syrian people. (Daily Star)
Osama Al Sharif says one cannot count on America’s intervention or leadership to resolve the crisis in Syria. (Jordan Times)
Hussein Ibish says Sisi will be judged on performance, not voter turnout or his large mandate. (Now)
H.A. Hellyer says the departure of Egyptian comedian Bassem Youssef from the Arab media scene is sad. (Foreign Policy)
Thomas Friedman says Kurdistan remains the “unsung success story” of the Iraq war. (New York Times)

News:

The US will work with and fund the new Palestinian government. (Reuters)

The EU is also prepared to work with the new Palestinian government. (AP/Ynet)

PM Netanyahu says he is “deeply troubled” by the US decision to maintain relations with the new Palestinian government. (AP/AFP/Ha’aretz/Ynet)

Israel denounces the US for accepting the new Palestinian government. (Times fo Israel)

PM Hamdallah urges the international community to continue supporting Palestinians and their legal rights. (Xinhua)

Pres. Abbas says new elections will be held within six months. (Ma’an)

Israel will bar members of the new Palestinian government from moving freely. (Ha’aretz)       

Many Jewish American organizations urge the US to either review or cut off its financial support of the PA. (Ha’aretz)                                 

Israeli Amb. Dermer expresses “deep disappointment” in the US decision to continue supporting the PA. (JTA)

The New York Times answers questions about the new Palestinian government. (New York Times)

Palestinians in Ramallah say the new government must prove itself. (Jerusalem Post)

Hamas’s interior ministry in Gaza is abolished with the swearing in of a new Palestinian government. (Times of Israel)

Israeli occupation forces kill a Palestinian man who allegedly attacked a checkpoint in the West Bank. (Reuters/Ma’an/Xinhua/PNN/JTA/Ha’aretz)  

Syrians vote in a presidential election. (Reuters/AP/New York Times/The National)

Turkey lists the al-Nusra Front as a terrorist group. (Xinhua)

Libya’s new PM Maiteeq holds his first cabinet meeting. (Reuters)

Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef ends his show. (AP/New York Times)

Commentary:

The Jordan Times says Israel’s move to boycott the new Palestinian government is “childish and counterproductive.” (Jordan Times)

Chemi Shalev says Israel’s decision to isolate the new Palestinian government is aimed at two audiences: Israeli public opinion and Republican lawmakers. (Ha’aretz)

The Media Line interviews Abbas advisor Dr. Sabri Saidam. (The Media Line)

David Horovitz outlines 12 ways the Obama administration has failed Israel. (Times of Israel)

Ron Ben-Yishai says Israel should try to enhance the positive aspects of the new Palestinian government. (Ynet)

Akiva Eldar says Israel can learn from the Palestinian narrative. (Al-Monitor)

Ha’aretz says Israel’s use of administrative detention must be reviewed. (Ha’aretz)

Steven Heydemann says the Syrian presidential election is a farce, but it is still dangerous. (Foreign Policy)

David Kenner looks at the other two candidates of the Syrian presidential election. (Foreign Policy)

Diana Moukalled says the ballot that took place in Lebanon among Syrians was not a “genuine election.” (Al Arabiya)

Mustapha Tlili says the Obama administration has failed to grasp the nature of political Islam. (New York Times)

Hassan Barari says a new equilibrium in the Gulf and the Levant can only materialise if Iran changes course. (Jordan Times)

Mohsin Khan says Pres. Sisi must solve numerous economic problems if Egypt is to “bounce back.” (The National)

Mamoun Fandy says Egypt has five major crises that need to be prioritized. (Asharq al-Awsat)

The Daily Star says Iran and the Gulf need to work together to minimize threats posed by extremists from both sides of the divide. (Daily Star)

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