Date

NEWS:
Sec. Kerry says the Middle East peace process is on a "pause." (AP)
UNSG Ban warns Israel and the Palestinians against unilateral moves. (Times of Israel)
Unnamed Hamas sources give their spin on the agreement with Fatah. (Al Monitor)
Palestinians seek greater authority in "Area C." (The Media Line)
Kerry's comments about potential "apartheid" in Israel tap into an ongoing Israeli debate. (AP)
A PLO official says PM Netanyahu is using proposed "Jewish state” legislation to permanently kill peace. (Ha'aretz)
Increasing numbers of Palestinian citizens of Israel are condemning the proposed legislation. (YNet)
Arab women are attacked and a cemetery vandalized in the latest "price tag" attack by Jewish right-wing extremists. (YNet)
Israeli police subject to the State Department's inclusion of settler violence in its new terrorism report. (AFP)
Israel's public security minister says the attacks are terrorism, and Israel knows who is responsible. (Ha'aretz)
Jewish-American groups strongly condemn "price tag" violence. (YNet)
Israeli police suspect potential terrorism in the murder of an Israeli woman. (Jerusalem Post/Times of Israel)
Israel is reportedly angered by a new report on boycotts by the British Methodist Church. (Ha'aretz)
Israel says a rocket fired from Gaza lands in southern Israel without incident. (AFP)
Unemployed Gaza workers dream of new jobs. (Xinhua)
AIDS patients in Gaza face isolation and humiliation. (Al Monitor)
A Palestinian citizen of Israel is placed under arrest for questioning on Facebook conscription orders for Christians. (Ha'aretz)
Israel's population is now estimated to be 8.2 million. (AFP)
Samaritan men in the West Bank are looking for brides in the former Soviet Union. (Christian Science Monitor)
Dozens are killed in an airstrike in Syria. (New York Times/AP)
At least 11 of the dead are reported to be children. (BBC)

cease-fire is reportedly reached in the embattled city of Homs. (AP)
suicide bomber kills an Egyptian soldier and three others in the Sinai Peninsula. (Reuters/AP)
Egypt faces a growing energy crisis. (New York Times/AP)
The UN says 750 people were killed in violence in Iraq in April. (Xinhua)
COMMENTARY:
Hussein Ibish joins Omri Ceren and Yosi Mekelberg to discuss the future of Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. (VOA/On The Line)
Bakir Oweida says Palestinians shouldn't despair, they should redouble their commitment to peace. (Asharq Al Awsat)
Marc Schneier says Israelis and other Jews should welcome Pres. Abbas' strong statements about the Holocaust. (The Forward)
Saeb Erekat says Israel has rejected peace because it is happy with the status quo. (Time)
The Jerusalem Post says Israel could lash out at the PA, but can't risk its collapse. (Jerusalem Post)
Shlomi Eldar agrees that Israeli sanctions against the PA could backfire. (Al Monitor)
Efraim Halevy says Israel has an opportunity to totally destroy Hamas. (YNet)
Zoher Bahalul says Jewish "price tag" extremists are trying to provoke another Palestinian intifada. (YNet)
Michael Pizzi looks at controversy over Kerry's use of the term "apartheid" regarding Israel and the occupation. (Al Jazeera America)
Akiva Eldar says that indeed Kerry's strong warning to Israel has been lost in a furor over the word "apartheid." (Al Monitor)
Michael Cohen says Israel is lucky to have a "straight talking friend" like Kerry. (Foreign Policy)
David Weinberg says Israel's choices are not as stark as Kerry andothers think. (Jerusalem Post)
Anshel Pfeffer says Israel needs to start living for itself, notfighting empty battles over PR problems like "apartheid." (Ha'aretz)
Christopher Fettweis says, in order to move forward, both Israelis and Palestinians have to overcome their victim mentalities. (Los Angeles Times)
Ron Kampeas says J Street's failed effort to join the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations still shows it has gained mainstream acceptance. (JTA)
Robert Kagan says the US should not support the interim Egyptian government. (Washington Post)
The National says Congress is making a huge mistake by potentially interfering with the resumption of US aid to Egypt. (The National)
Mary Fitzgerald looks at the potential future for the Muslim Brotherhood in Libya. (Foreign Policy)
Abdelkader Cheref asks what's next, now that Pres. Bouteflika has been sworn in for another term in Algeria. (The National)
Youssef Cherif says Tunisia can and should play a role in mediating disputes in Libya. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

News:

Unnamed American officials reportedly primarily blame Israel’s continued settlement expansion for the failure of the peace talks. (Ynet/Times of Israel)

Pres. Abbas and Hamas leader Meshaal will hold talks in Doha. (Ma’an/AFP)

Palestinians are pushing to internationally brand Israel as the “occupier of Palestine.” (New York Times)

PM Netanyahu defends his plans for law defining Israel as a “Jewish state.” (AFP/Ynet)

Special Envoy Indyk may resign. (Ha’aretz)

The PLO joins five UN global treaties. (JTA)

Jewish “price tag” extremists vandalize a car in Israel and uproot olive trees in the occupied West Bank. (Ma’an/Ha’aretz)

DM Ya’alon calls on Israeli authorities to crack down on perpetrators of “price tag” attacks. (Times of Israel)

Islamic Jihad gains new traction against rivals Hamas in the Gaza strip. (New York Times)

3,000 PA police may begin to operate in Gaza as part of the unity deal. (Ma’an/Ha’aretz)

Israel remembers its fallen soldiers. (AP/Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post) 

Israeli soldiers express frustration about their service in the occupied West Bank. (AP)

new Yeshiva will open in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ynet/Reuters)

Ramallah celebrates Palestine Fashion Week 2014. (AP)

PLO delegation heads to Syria to check on the conditions of Palestinian refugees. (Ma’an)

Syrian government forces kill 21 rebels in Aleppo. (AP)

Pres. Assad will face two other candidates in the Syrian Presidential election. (AP)

Persistent differences between Saudi Arabia and the US are hurting Syria policy. (Reuters/The National)

Turkey builds a wall to secure the border with Syria. (Reuters)

Educated women in Jordan face a shortage of jobs. (New York Times)

An Egyptian al-Qaeda inspired group claims responsibility for two attacks. (AP/Xinhua)

The Libyan Parliament swears-in new PM Ahmed Matiq under highly controversial circumstances.. (AP/Reuters/New York Times/The National)

The World Health Organization says polio is spreading at an alarming rate. (New York Times)

Qatar will launch a new tv satellite station to be run by Azmi Bishara. (The National)

Commentary:

Hussein Ibish says Palestinian unity agreement faces significant obstacles. (The National)

Rami Khouri says this a time of opportunity for Palestinians on three important fronts. (Daily Star)

Baraka El-Farra and Amine Kammourieh debate if Israel alone, or Sec. Kerry also, are responsible for undermining peace talks. (Asharq al-Awsat)

The Washington Post says its time for “a more pragmatic approach” in the Middle East. (Washington Post)

Mahmoud Jaraba and Lihi Ben Shitrit say the latest escalation in the Abbas-Dahlan dispute highlights the “bitter succession” fight in Fatah. (Daily Star)

Uzi Baram explains why he thinks Zionism has become a “dirty word.” (Ha’aretz)

Amer Al Sabaileh says Palestinian reconciliation is in everybody’s interest. (Jordan Times)

Samih Shabib and Khalil Shaheen debate if the Gaza agreement will result in a real unity government. (Asharq al-Awsat)

Sharif Nashashibi says we must acknowledge Israeli “apartheid,” (Al Arabiya)

Hussein Abu Hussein says Palestinian citizens of Israel wonder why Israel’s law enforcement’s resourcefulness disappear when it comes to “price tag” attacks. (Ha’aretz)

Amira Hass asks if Israeli authorities are really against “price tag” attacks. (Ha’aretz)

Fred Hiatt asks why the US stands by so “idly” on Syria. (Washington Post)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed says Iraqi political pluralism, and the real diversity of top figures and parties, are worth appreciating. (Al Arabiya)


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