In Salon.com, former Israeli UN speechwriter Gregory Levey warns that the growing alliance between Likud leader Netanyahu and Israeli-Russian billionaire Gaydamak could result in an erosion of Israeli democracy and right-wing policies promoting wider regional Mideast war (2.) The New York Times examines how the recent Israeli strike against Syria has brought to the surface the differences in the U.S. administration between the more hawkish elements favoring military action and the more pragmatic favoring diplomatic solutions (3.) The Guardian (UK) reports on the recent seziure of Palestinian land around Jerusalem by the Israeli army in order to apparently build more settlements (6.) In the BBC (UK) Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen examines the many challenges facing the fall Mideast meeting, primary among them the consequences of excluding Hamas (8.) A Daily Star (Lebanon) opinion by Rami Khouri argues that for the fall Mideast meeting to meet any standards of success it must address the interests of both Israelis and Palestinians equally (10.) In Miftah (Palestine) Joharah Baker examines the successful process by which Israel is able to transform policies that initially are opposed to internationally to permanent facts on the ground (12.) A Haaretz (Israel) editorial by Amir Oren analyzes how the American leadership is convinced that a far-reaching and significant Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian occupied territories as part of a compromise with moderate Mideast regional forces, is important to achieve (14.) A jerusalem Post (ISrael) opinion by Gershon Baskin urges the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships not to be swayed by hardening public opinion in the lead up to the fall meeting, instead focusing on the main principles of an agreement that he lays out (15.)