Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad delivers a speech calling for unity, institution building, and an independent state within two years (1) (2). The Hamas-affiliated speaker of the Palestinian parliament is released from an Israeli prison after serving the majority of his three year sentence (4). Israel authorizes the building of 300 new homes in an existing West Bank settlement (4) and reportedly is formulating plans to "legalize" 60 homes at a currently unauthorized West Bank outpost (5). The Italian foreign minister urges a halt to Israeli settlement expansion (7), as the U.S. State Department clarifies that a full settlement freeze must include Jerusalem (8). In an op-ed for The Daily Star ATFP Senior Fellow Hussein Ibish urges the creation of a real American coalition for Middle East Peace (10).

The Wall Street Journal features an op-ed on the peace process by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (1). Controversy continues over planned Israeli expansion in the E1 area of East Jerusalem (3). Saree Makdisi questions how language is manipulated in order to absolve Israel from its responsibilities (5).With the Gaza blockade on construction materials some Gaza residents are building homes out of mud (6). A recent poll finds that an increasing percentage of Israelis view President Obama as ‘pro-Palestinian’ (7). Quartet envoy Tony Blair expresses his optimism that, with cooperation from all sides, a peace deal could be reached ‘within the year’ (9). The Media Line interviews Congressman Keith Ellison (11).