Date

April 16th

News:

16 EU FM’s send a letter to foreign policy chief Mogherini asking her to push forward the process of labeling goods produced in Israeli settlements. (Ha’aretz)

The director of Israel’s foreign ministry Ben-Sheetrit says Israel may pay a “heavy price” for crisis with the US. (Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

A Palestinian man from occupied East Jerusalem drives his car into two Israelis waiting at a busstop – killing one. (JTA/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Amb. Power says the US will continue to “work closely” with Israel at the UN but would not count out advancing resolutions targeting Israel. (JTA)

Israel marks Holocaust memorial day with sirens and ceremonies. (AP/AFP/JTA/Ha’aretz)

PM al-Abadi says ISIS remains a fierce adversary as he outlines plans to prioritize battles in the refinery city of Baiji and the Anbar province. (Reuters/AP)

An exchange between Iraq and Saudi Arabia reflects the challenges facing the Obama administration as it tries to hold together a diverse coalition in the fight against ISIS. (New York Times/Foreign Policy)

The UN World Food Programme says the worsening violence in Yemen has made almost half the country's population "food insecure." (Reuters)

The UN special adviser to Yemen Benomar is planning on stepping down from his job. (Reuters/AP/New York Times)

Congress’ Iran bill makes a nuclear deal hard, but not impossible. (Reuters)

Iran nuclear talks will resume next week in Vienna. (AP)

Austrian Pres. Fischer says he will probably visit Iran this year should Tehran clinch a definitive deal with the P5+1. (Reuters)

A new study indicates that Iran is raising sophistication and frequency of cyber attacks. (New York Times)

Former Pres. Gul says Turkey needs a better parliamentary system, not a more powerful presidency. (Reuters)

Commentary:

Amos Harel says the split between the political and military wings of Hamas could lead to renewal of violence in the southern front. (Ha’aretz)

Akiva Eldar asks if former Sec. Clinton should promote the Clinton parameters. (Al-Monitor)

Ha’aretz says Obama's advisers are ignoring Amb. Dermer, a persona non grata at the White House. (Ha’aretz)

Salman Masalha asks why the US cannot figure out the Middle East. (Ha’aretz)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed says UNSC resolution 2216 thwarts Iran’s plans in Yemen.  (Al Arabiya)

Eyad Abu Shakra says today the term “resistance,” when used by the “Houthis of the whole region” - from Yemen to Iraq and Lebanon - means nothing more than “Iran’s hegemony.”  (Al Arabiya)

Michael Young says a new museum is a start, but wonders how Lebanon will deal with its difficult past forty years after the civil war. (The National)

Mustafa Akyol says Pres. Erdogan is “alienating allies, curtailing civil liberties and stoking sectarianism simply for the sake of political gain.” (New York Times)

April 15th

News:

Israeli occupation forces arrest 29 Palestinians suspected of links to Hamas in an overnight raid in the West Bank. (AP/Ma’an/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Hamas says the unity government should commit to previously agreed-to understandings regarding salaries of civil servants. (Ma’an)

A Palestinian activist says local fighters in Yarmouk have advanced in clashes with ISIS. (AP)

Vandals attack a Christian graveyard in a village near Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. (AFP)

The UN says Gaza's Deir al-Balah refugee camp is to receive $40 million in funding. (Ma’an)

The first Palestinian business conference will take place in May. (Ma’an)

PM Netanyahu and opposition leader Herzog reportedly hold a secret meeting over unity government. (JTA)

White House entry log show Amb. Dermer is cut off from Pres. Obama’s staff. (Ha’aretz)

ISIS seizes villages in Iraq’s Anbar province. (Reuters/AP)

bomb in north Egypt kills two military academy students. (Reuters)

Egypt and Saudi Arabia are considering whether to hold joint military exercises in the kingdom. (AP) 

The UNSC bans the sales of arms to Houthis in Yemen. (New York Times/Washington Post)

Sec. Kerry says he is confident Obama will be able to get Congress to approve a nuclear deal with Iran. (Reuters/AP)

Iran says it would only accept a deal if world powers simultaneously lifted all sanctions imposed on it. (Reuters/Washington Post)

Israeli Intelligence Minister Steinitz says he is pleased at a compromise deal on Iran achievedbetween Congress and the Obama administration. (Reuters/New York Times/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Commentary:

Charles Fromm says as long as accountability continues to elude decision-makers, Gaza’s agony will persist. (The National)

Adnan Abu Amer says Hamas is warily eyeing proposals for a long-term truce with Israel. (Al-Monitor)

The New York Times says the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has created potentially dangerous uncertainties by approving a bill that would require Congress to vote on any final nuclear deal with Iran. (New York Times)

Gordon Adams says strikingly, Obama’s foreign-policy priorities have been both similar and consistent to those of former Pres. Bush. (Foreign Policy)

Vali Nasr says Saudi Arabia should welcome the Iran deal. (New York Times)

Aaron David Miller says the Arab world is a mess and its leaders don’t appear ready to assume much responsibility for fixing it. (Foreign Policy)

Rami Khouri looks at PM al-Abadi’s recent visit to Washington. (Daily Star)

April 14th

News:

Israel will allow Palestinian vehicles to enter Jerusalem for the first time in 15 years. (Ma'an)

Israeli occupation forces detain 18 Palestinians across the West Bank. (Ma'an)

The Shin Bet says a Hamas cell allegedly planned a terrorist attack on Purim. (Ha'aretz/Times of Israel)

Western-backed fighters in southwestern Syria speak out against al-Qaeda. (Reuters)

Pres. Obama and PM al-Abadi will discuss the fight against ISIS today at a White House meeting. (Reuters/AP/New York Times/The National)

American soldiers back in Iraq find security forces in disrepair. (New York Times) 

The Pentagon says ISIS is losing ground in Iraq and is gaining in Syria. (AP)

FM Zarif lays out a four-point Yemen peace plan including dialogue and humanitarian aid. (Reuters)

Russia paves the way for missile system deliveries to Iran and starts an oil-for-goods swap.(Reuters/AP/Washington Post/Times of Israel/Jerusalem Post)

DM Ya'alon says the Russia-Iran missile deal is a direct result of the Lausanne talks. (Ha'aretz)

The White House steps up Iran pitch to Jewish leaders and donors. (JTA/Ha'aretz/Times of Israel/Jerusalem Post)

Commentary:

Bel Trew says in the rubble of Gaza, the militias are once again arming up and preparing for the inevitable war with Israel. (Foreign Policy)

Raed Omari says the problem in Yarmouk will remain humanitarian and never political or military despite ISIS’s presence there. (Al Arabiya)

Mohammed Othman looks at how women in Gaza can divorce. (Al-Monitor)

Ha'aretz says the Zionist Union must resist temptation of joining PM Netanyahu's government. (Ha'aretz)

Ben Caspit asks how Netanyahu will meddle in the next American presidential race. (Al-Monitor)

Faisal J. Abbas says Pakistan should realize it is not immune to the Iranian threat. (Al Arabiya)

The New York Times says as American and Iraqi leaders take stock this week of the fight against ISIS, they must come up with a feasible plan for the road ahead. (New York Times)

AP interviews deputy chief of Hezbollah Sheikh Naim Kassem. (AP)

Thanassis Cambanis says Iran is winning the war for dominance of the Middle East. (Foreign Policy)

Amos Harel says for Israel, Iran missile deal is an obstacle - but not insurmountable. (Ha'aretz)

The Washington Post looks at Iran's absurd persecution of American journalist Jason Rezaian. (Washington Post)

April 13th

News:

A coalition of international aid groups urge the world to deliver on aid promises for Gazareconstruction. (AP/AFP)

Human Rights Watch says Jewish settlers profit from Palestinian child labour. (AP)

Hamas says Pres. Abbas is preventing reconciliation with Fatah. (Jerusalem Post)

The Washington Post looks at the “new misery” in Yarmouk. (Washington Post)

A PLO official says ISIS is using heavy weaponry and artillery in Yarmouk. (Ma’an)

The head of the PNC Salim Zanoun calls on the Palestinian leadership to speed up efforts to resolve the ongoing Yarmouk crisis. (Ma’an)

Israeli occupation forces arrest 20 Palestinians in detention raids across the territories. (Ma’an)

An Iranian nuclear framework agreement may push PM Netanyahu to seek to form a national unity government. (Reuters/Ha’aretz)

Pres. Obama denounces attempts to derail a nuclear framework agreement with Iran. (New York Times)

Iran calls for the formation of a new Yemeni government and offers to assist in a political transition. (Reuters)

Pres. Hadi appoints his former PM Khaled Bahah as VP. (Reuters)

The US-led coalition steps up bombing raids in Anbar after Shiite militias withdraw. (AP)

ISIS militants claim attacks on embassies in Libya. (Reuters/New York Times/Washington Post)

A study shows Saudi military spending rose 17 percent in 2014. (Reuters)

Iran suspends all trips by pilgrims to Saudi Arabia amid growing diplomatic tensions between the two countries. (AP)

Iran accuses Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian of obtaining sensitive economic data. (Washington Post) 

Turkey recalls its ambassador over Pope Francis’ Armenia genocide comments. (AP)

Commentary:

Mehdi Hasan says Palestinians in Yarmouk are dying at the hands of an Arab regime. (The Guardian)

Oudeh Basharat asks why Israel doesn’t help Palestinians in Yarmouk. (Ha’aretz)

Ernest Moniz says the Iranian nuclear framework agreement sets up vital restrictions. (Washington Post)

Jackson Diehl asks if nuclear detente will force a change in Iran. (Washington Post)

Abraham Foxman says the US and Israel need to put aside their mutual suspicions over an Iran deal.  (Ha’aretz)

Djavad Salehi-Isfahani says Iran's convoluted relationship with the global economy is a pivotal factor in whether any nuclear deal will succeed. (The National)

Uri Savir says France is stepping up its involvement on Iran and Palestine. (Al-Monitor)

Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi says Yemen is besieged by pro-Iranian militias and it is in no nation's interest to let them win. (New York Times)

Hussein Ibish looks at the perils of half-measures in war. (The National)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed says Yemen’s war is linked to Syria. (Al Arabiya)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed calls for the protection of the Egyptian-Saudi alliance. (Asharq al-Awsat)


April 9th

News:

Palestinian police expand their security control in parts of the occupied West Bank, following an agreement  with Israel. (Reuters/JTA)

Gaza public employees launch a strike over additional unpaid salaries. (Ma’an)

The PA says it has received a $100 million loan from Qatar to help pay civil servants’ salaries. (Reuters)

Israeli forces shoot and injure Palestinian fishermen off the Gaza coast. (Ma’an)

Hamas is reportedly treating Sinai jihadists in a Gaza hospital. (Times of Israel)

PM Hamdallah meets with the UN humanitarian coordinator in Ramallah. (Ma’an)

Israeli-Arab MK’s call for the release of Palestinian lawmaker Khalida Jarrar, arrested by Israel. (Ha’aretz)

The Red Cross demands access to ISIS-held areas of the Yarmouk camp in Syria. (Reuters)

A Palestinian official says an agreement has been reached with the Syrian government to use military force to expel ISIS from Yarmouk. (AP)

The ICC says ISIS is outside of its jurisdiction. (New York Times)

The New York Times looks at the status of the neglected National Museum of Iraq. (New York Times)

Houthis seize the mainly Sunni Shabwa province in eastern Yemen. (Reuters)

Pres. Erdogan says Egypt must free former Pres. Morsi before it can restore ties with Turkey. (Reuters)

Pres. Rouhani says Iran will only sign a nuclear deal if sanctions are lifted on the same day. (Reuters/JTA)

Ayatollah Khamenei says he neither backs nor rejects the framework understanding reached between Iran and the P5+1. (Reuters/AP/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel/Jerusalem Post)  

Pres. Obama lobbies Congress on the Iran nuclear framework. (AP)

CIA Director Brennan says Iran’s economic peril helped guide the framework agreement. (New York Times)

Commentary:

Hussein Ibish looks at the tragedy in Yarmouk. (NOW)

Ha’aretz says Israel must help Yarmouk’s Palestinian refugees. (Ha’aretz)

Michael Young says Iran’s use of Shia militants across the Middle East has been largely successfull over the year’s but dangers for Tehran remain. (The National)

J.M. Berger explains why ISIS’s claimed attack in Yemen could spark a broader Arab  war. (Foreign Policy)

Emma Ashford says the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen is doomed to fail because the conflict is local not regional. (New York Times)

Manuel Almeida says radicalism not sectarianism is the threat in Yemen. (Al Arabiya)

Salman Aldossary says “Operation Decisive Storm” can protect the Gulf. (Asharq al-Awsat)

Moshe Ya’alon says Israel does not want a war with Iran but the current framework agreement is “dangerous.” (Washington Post)

J.J. Goldberg looks at how PM Netanyahu enabled Pres. Bush’s war in Iraq and what that means for Iran today. (The Forward)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed asks if Saudi Arabia’s relationship with Egypt is under threat. (Al Arabiya)

Michael Young looks at Lebanon 40 years after the civil war.  (Daily Star)

The National says Turkey must play a better role in solving the conflicts shaping the future of the region. (The National)

April 8th

News:

 

A Palestinian stabs two Israeli soldiers outside a settlement in the occupied West Bank. (AP/New York Times/Ma’an/JTA/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

 

The IDF raids the home of the Palestinian assailant. (Times of Israel)

 

France is preparing a draft UNSC resolution to propose a Palestinian state. (Ynet/Al-Monitor/The Media Line)

 

Israeli occupation forces assault two guards at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound. (Ma’an)

 

A Syrian Minister says a military operation is needed to expel ISIS from the Yarmouk refugee camp. (AFP/The National)

 

Warplanes from a Saudi-led coalition strike an airbase north of Aden. (Reuters)

 

Iran sends two warships to the Gulf of Aden. (The National)

 

Jordan circulates a draft UN resolution aimed at ending the fighting in Yemen. (AP)

 

Saudi Shiites are worried about a backlash from the war in Yemen. (Washington Post)

 

Def. Sec. Carter says al-Qaeda is making "great gains" on the ground amid the chaos in Yemen. (AP/New York Times)

 

The World Health Organization says more than 560 people have been killed in Yemen. (AP)

 

Arab states want the UNSC to "blacklist" the son of Yemen’s former Pres. Saleh. (Reuters)

 

After the victory over ISIS in Tikrit, the next battle in the Anbar province probably requires a new template. (New York Times)

 

Moody’s raises Egypt’s credit rating, saying macroeconomic performance has improved and external vulnerabilities have been reduced. (AP)

 

A poll indicates 31% of Republicans support an Iran nuclear deal. (Reuters/Ha’aretz)

 

Commentary:

 

Ghaith al-Omari asks if the PA has already collapsed. (The Hill)

 

Uri Savir says PM Netanyahu’s electoral win has left Palestinians fearing they have no option left but a nonviolent intifada. (Al-Monitor)

 

Ahmad Melhem asks if Qatar-Israel relations will threaten PA”s relevance in Gaza. (Al-Monitor)

 

The New York Times says Israel’s demands are unrealistic and, if heeded, could scuffer any nuclear deal with Iranl. (New York Times)

 

David Ignatius looks at Pres. Obama’s “delicate path” ahead on Iran. (Washington Post)

 

Ruth Marcus says Obama needs Congress’s buy-in on Iran. (Washington Post)

 

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed looks at Obama’s apologies to Iran and criticism of Arabs.  (Al Arabiya)

 

Peter Beinart says Obama and Netanyahu see Iran differently because they see their own countries differently. (Ha’aretz)

 

David Horovitz says Obama didn’t sign a bad framework deal with Iran, he left it unsigned, open to a more worrying interpretation. (Times of Israel)

 

Avi Shilon says Netanyahu should embrace the Iran deal as his greatest achievement.(Ha’aretz)

 

Khaled Almaeena says Saudi action was needed against the Houthis. (Al Arabiya)

April 7th

News:

Palestine’s UN Amb. Mansour calls for the Security Council to adopt a resolution demanding a deadline for a Palestinian state. (AP)

The PA is reportedly providing new documents to the ICC to speed up a preliminary probe into possible Israeli war crimes. (Ma’an)

Palestinian importers say Israel has cut back on lumber shipments to Gaza. (Reuters/Jerusalem Post)

Hamas arrests a radical Salafist sheikh in Gaza, accusing him of membership in ISIS.  (AFP)

A PLO committee slams the arbitrary detention of Khalida Jarrar. (Ma’an)

Israel’s military faces a delicate balance in the occupied West Bank. (New York Times)

SodaStream changes the labels on some of its products to note that they were manufactured in the West Bank. (JTA)

Palestinian refugees are fleeing the horrors of ISIS atrocities in Syria. (AFP)

The UN says the crisis in the Palestinian refugee camp in Yarmouk has worsened since the ISIS invasion. (New York Times/Ynet)

The PA has managed to secure the evacuation of up to 800 Palestinian students from Yemen. (Ma’an)

Warplanes from a Saudi-led air coalition bomb a military base in Yemen controlled by Houthi fighters. (Reuters)

UNICEF says at least 74 children have been killed in Yemen fighting. (AP)

The Red Cross says it aims to fly two planes carrying 48 tonnes of medical help and other aid to Yemen over the next two days. (Reuters/Washington Post)

China calls for a ceasefire in Yemen. (Reuters)

Iraqi forensic teams begin excavating 12 suspected mass grave sites thought to hold the corpses of as many as 1,700 soldiers massacred last summer by ISIS. (Reuters/AP) 

VP Biden will give a major speech on Iraq’s future on Thursday. (AP)

The Lebanese army kills three militants in a raid near the Syrian border. (AP/The National/The Daily Star)

Pres. Obama says he is confident sanctions against Iran could be reimposed if a deal is broken. (Reuters/AP/Times of Israel/Jerusalem Post)

Iranian hardliners stage a protest against the nuclear deal.  (AP)

Sen. Corker is a key player in the Iran nuclear accords. (New York Times)

Hezbollah leader Nasrallah says an Iran deal rules out specter of regional and world wars. (Ha’aretz)

Pres. Erdogan visits Iran amid spat over Yemen. (AP)

Commentary:

Hassan Hassan says ISIS’s Yarmouk offensive has profound implications. (The National)

Daniel Drezner says PM Netanyahu is the least important player on the “Iran chessboard.” (Washington Post)

Eugene Robinson says the Iran agreement may be a turning point. (Washington Post)

The Washington Post says Obama is “walking a tightrope” on the Iran nuclear framework. (Washington Post)

Peter Beinart asks what is the alternative to Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran. (Ha’aretz)

Amos Harel asks if Israel can still scuttle an Iran nuclear deal. (Foreign Policy)

Aaron David Miller says an Iranian nuclear deal is still in the motions of negotiations. (Foreign Policy)

Jamal Khashoggi says “Operation Decisive Storm” has pushed the region to a “different and more progressive future.” (Al Arabiya)

The National says Arab collective strength through unity allows the region to better cooperate with the West. (The National)

Salman Aldossary asks if Obama understands Sunni Arabs. (Asharq al Awsat)

April 6th

News:

Pres. Abbas says he rejects Israel’s offer of a partial transfer of tax revenues.(AP/AFP/JTA/Reuters)

Israeli occupation forces detain 100 Palestinians from Hebron in March.  (Ma’an)

Iran is reportedly “intensifying support for Hamas” by helping rebuild tunnels in Gaza. (Ma’an/JTA/Ha’aretz)

The UN says the state of the Yarmouk refugee camp is “beyond inhumane.” (AP)

Palestinians from Yarmouk ask for international intervention. (Ynet)

A PLO delegation heads to Syria for talks on Yarmouk crisis.  (Ma’an)

Hamas-affiliated group is reportedly fighting ISIS in the Yarmouk refugee camp. (Ma’an)

Pakistan says Saudi Arabia has asked for warplanes, warships and soldiers in Yemen. (Reuters/AP)

Yemen’s Aden suffers amid continued clashes, as aid deliveries are delayed. (Reuters)

The Red Cross gets approval from the Saudi-led coalition to distribute aid in Yemen. (Reuters)

An apparent Saudi strike kills nine members of a Yemeni family. (New York Times)

Islamist militants and fighters loyal to the Syrian government make a rare prisoner swap.(Reuters)

Ex-officers from Saddam Hussein’s army have risen to prominent positions in ISIS’s hierarchy. (Washington Post)

Islamist militants attack Egypt's two largest cities with a bombing in Cairo and an attack on a church in Alexandria, leaving one policeman dead and seven people wounded. (Reuters/AP/New York Times)

Pres. Obama defends the Iran deal as “once in a lifetime” opportunity. (AP/New York Times/Washington Post/Ha’aretz)

PM Netanyahu seeks a better deal on Iran. (Reuters/AFP/JTA/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

An Israeli document poses 10 key questions about the “irresponsible and dangerous” Iran deal. (Times of Israel)

Experts say the framework for an Iran nuclear deal may sideline hard-liners.(AP)

Turkey blocks access to social media over the publication of photographs of slain prosecutor. (AFP)

Commentary:

Ha’aretz says Netanyahu should return to the negotiating table with Abbas. (Ha’aretz)

Avi Issacharoff says Israel is turning a blind eye to tunnel construction and the next Gaza war. (Times of Israel)

Thomas Friedman interviews Obama on Iran. (New York Times)

Roger Cohen says the nuclear deal with Iran is still only preliminary but if concluded it will represent the most important American diplomatic achievement. (New York Times)

David Rothkopf says the interim Iran nuclear deal is worth celebrating. (Foreign Policy)

E.J. Dionne says the Iran deal is tougher than many skeptics anticipated. (Washington Post)

Bryan Gibson looks at five times the US and Iran tried to mend ties-- and failed. (Foreign Policy)

Peter Beinart looks at the three benefits of ending the US’s cold war with Iran. (Ha’aretz)

Hussein Ibish looks at the Iran nuclear framework in its regional context. (AGSIW)

Ben Caspit interviews Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin. (Al-Monitor)

J.J. Goldberg has four questions on Iran for Netanyahu. (The Forward)

Amir Oren says Netanyahu must take responsibility for his abject failure to exert any influence on the Iranian nuclear program talks. (Ha’aretz)

Aluff Benn says the Iran deal can be scaffolding for an Israeli unity government.  (Ha’aretz)

The Daily Star says Gulf leaders must work on a unified stance to work out what is best for them and the rest of the Middle East. (Daily Star)

Theodore Karasik says the Yemen operation is a good test run for an Arab army. (The National)

Salman Aldossary says “Operation Decisive Storm” is not a battle against Shiites, but against Houthis. (Asharq al-Awsat)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed says Iran is against Saudi Arabia. (Al Arabiya)

Hugh Eakin says the world should use military force to stop ISIS’ destruction of monuments. (New York Times)

Avi Lewis looks at a new Jordanian think tank that seeks to inject nuance into the conversation about Israel and the Arab world. (Times of Israel)

April 3rd

News:

Iranians celebrate after negotiators reach a framework for a nuclear accord, and Pres. Obamahails  "historic understanding." (Reuters/AP/New York Times/Washington Post/AFP/Times of Israel/Foreign Policy/The National)

Reuters looks at the details of the P5+1 agreement. (Reuters)

Iran’s hardliners criticize the tentative nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1. (AP)

Ayatollah Khamenei lends “cautious support” to pursuing a nuclear deal. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia publicly welcomes a framework nuclear deal with Tehran, but in private mistrust remains deep. (Reuters/Washington Post/Times of Israel)

PM Netanyahu says he and his cabinet are united in “strongly opposing” an Iranian nuclear deal.(AP/Washington Post/AFP/JTA/Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post)

Israeli officials say an Iran deal will make the world much more dangerous. (Ha’aretz)

American Energy Sec. Moniz says an Iran deal affords a one-year buffer to prevent a nuclear breakout. (JTA)

Disarmament groups welcome the Iran framework agreement. (New York Times)

FM Fabius says France held out for firmer conditions in the preliminary agreement on Iran’s nuclear program, and remains cautious about its success. (AP)

Iranian businesses say billions are “up for grabs” if a nuclear deal will open the country’s economy. (Reuters)

Israeli police find missing Israeli man near Hebron who staged his “fake kidnapping.” (AP/New York Times/Ma’an/PNN/JTA/Ynet/Jerusalem Post)

Pres. Abbas threatens to file an ICC complaint if Israel does not release Palestinian tax revenues. (Times of Israel)

An Israeli court rules against building the separation wall in Beit Jala. (Ma’an/Ha’aretz)

Deaf children in Gaza use art therapy to cope with war trauma. (Ma’an)

American for Peace Now calls the expansion of Israeli settlements a “plague” in a Facebook post. (JTA)

Saudis airdrop weapons and medical aid to fighters defending Aden from the Houthis. (Reuters/New York Times)

The UN says violence in Yemen has killed an estimated 519 people in the past two weeks, 90 of them children. (AP)

PM Sharif says Pakistan is concerned by the overthrow of Yemen’s government and will stand by Saudi Arabia. (Reuters) 

Commentary:

William J. Burns says the Iran deal is not perfect, but its a crucial step forward. (New York Times)

The New York Times says the preliminary agreement is a significant achievement that makes it more likely that Iran will never be a nuclear threat. (New York Times)

David Ignatius says the Iranian framework agreement is “better-than-expected.” (Washington Post)

Fareed Zakaria says a nuclear deal with Iran is the best option. (Washington Post) 

Experts weigh in on the implications of a nuclear framework. (Washington Post)

Amir Taheri looks at the difference between “talkers and deciders” in Iranian foreign policy. (Asharq al-Awsat)

Chemi Shalev says after the Iran deal, its time for Netanyahu to reassess his strategy. (Ha’aretz)

Barak Ravid says Israel will have a “hard time” fighting the Iranian nuclear framework agreement. (Ha’aretz)

David Horovitz says Obama lacks the resolve to insist upon a better deal with Iran.  (Times of Israel)

The Daily Star says if Obama is concerned about his legacy, he must encourage Iran to become a regular member of the international community. (Daily Star)

Justine Drennan looks at what leaders around the world are saying about the Iran deal. (Foreign Policy) 

Kori Schake gives five reasons to support the Iranian nuclear deal. (Foreign Policy)

David Kenner says an Iran deal threatens to upend a delicate balance of power in the Middle East. (Foreign Policy)

Matthew Levitt and Neri Zilber say the EU still has issues with Hamas. (TWI)

Shlomi Eldar asks if the Palestinians will file complaints against Israel at the ICC. (Al-Monitor)



April 2nd

News:

Palestinians refrain from immediately asking the ICC to look into cases that may implicate Israeli officials. (New York Times)

Israel denounces the Palestinian decision to join the ICC as “hypocritical.” (Ma’an/Ynet)

79 Congressional Democrats tells Pres. Obama that he should “persevere” in his efforts for a two-state solution. (JTA)

A Palestinian man stabs an Israeli soldier in the occupied West Bank. (AP/Ma’an/PNN/JTA/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Israel arrests a Palestinian lawmaker Khalida Jarrar over “incitement and terror involvement.” (AP/Ma’an/Times of Israel)

Israeli forces uproot 120 olive trees belonging to Palestinian farmers in the occupied West Bank. (Ma’an)

The New York Times looks at Speaker Boehner’s visit to Israel. (New York Times)

ISIS militants retreat from the besieged Yarmouk refugee camp. (AP)

Turkish security forces arrest nine British nationals who were trying to cross illegally into Syria. (Reuters)

The Al-Nusra Front captures the main border crossing with Jordan. (AP) 

The Iraqi government claims victory over ISIS insurgents in Tikrit. (Reuters/AP/Washington Post)

Dozens of unidentified troops land by sea in Aden after Houthis seize control of its center.(Reuters/Washington Post)

Gunmen attack several Egyptian military checkpoints in Sinai, killing 15 soldiers and two civilians. (Reuters/New York Times/Ma’an)

The P5+1 talks with Iran stretch into another day; with diplomats saying prospects for a preliminary agreement were finely balanced between success and collapse. (Reuters/AP/JTA/Jerusalem Post)

Pres. Obama reportedly told Sec. Kerry to show the Iranians that he was ready to “blow up” the negotiations. (New York Times/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel) 

Israeli air force chief Gen. Amir Eshel says first-strike capability is still an option for Israel. (Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Commentary:

Jonathan Schanzer and Grant Rumley say the resignation of Palestinian Deputy PM Mustafa should be big news.  (Foreign Policy)

Akiva Eldar says the dangers PM Netanyahu perceives in the region obstruct his ability to see opportunities favorable to Israel. (Al-Monitor)

Avraham Burg says this is the worst time for Jews to abandon Europe. (Ha’aretz)

John Bellinger says ISIS leaders should be prosecuted at the ICC for international crimes rather than in national courts. (New York Times)

The New York Times says  ISIS's campaign of religious and cultural cleansing must not go unpunished by the UN. (New York Times)

Michael Young says the challenge for Lebanon will be to manage Hezbollah’s fluctuating fortunes. (Daily Star)

Joyce Karam says Obama’s full resumption of military aid to Egypt concludes the administration’s failed experiment in Egypt. (Al Arabiya)

Arif Rafiq looks at the “dangerous and delicate” Saudi-Pakistan alliance. (Foreign Policy)

Alan Philps says during the time Iran has taken to get within striking distance of a nuclear deal, it has come close to being the dominant regional power. (The National)

Nicholas Kristof says a nuclear deal with Iran isn’t just about bombs. (New York Times)

Yossi Mekelberg looks at Israel’s last efforts to stop an Iranian nuclear agreement. (Al Arabiya)

Israel Harel says there are a few indications that positions on the Iranian nuclear deal are hardening in Washington, due to pressure from Israel and Congress. (Ha’aretz)


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