NEWS: Pres. Abbas complains that Israel has been refusing to allow Palestinian security forces to import weaponry and says that he is very afraid of the consequences of the death of any hunger striking prisoner, and Quartet envoy Blair echoes this concern. Israel seems near to reaching a deal with hunger striking Palestinian prisoners. Palestinian families cherish photos of imprisoned relatives. PA police arrest a noted activist with a militant past following the assassination of the governor of Jenin. Israel continues to expand its naval power. Palestinian officials dismiss a letter from PM Netanyahu responding to an earlier one to him from Abbas. Occupation forces order the demolition of a Palestinian elementary school to make way for a military training ground. Israeli officials are increasingly concerned about possible international legal action regarding some settlement activity. Palestinians in Lebanon are wary of a Nakba Day march towards the Israeli border given last year's deadly violence. European human rights groups say Israeli occupation authorities have destroyed numerous Palestinian development projects in the occupied territories financed by EU funds. Arab writers returning from a Gaza literary festival decry Hamas oppression. COMMENTARY: ATFP Pres. Ziad Asali says Palestinians must honor the memory, but also learn the lessons of, the Nakba. Shaul Arieli says both Palestinians and Israelis are misreading the international mood by insisting on maximal claims. Jeff Barak says it will be easy to measure the performance of the new Israeli coalition government. The Forward says the new government offers many positive possibilities. Fareed Zakaria wonders if Netanyahu can use his new power for anything more constructive than political survival. Amihai Attali says Palestinians are using their own version of the settlers' outposts strategy. Eli Brandstein says there are strong indications that Netanyah and his new coalition partner Kadima leader Mofaz have reached an understanding on Iran policy. Sharif Elmusa says that through their hunger strikes, Palestinian prisoners are acquiring their own public identities. Yossi Alpher says Israeli-Palestinian track II diplomacy has ground to a halt because there is nothing left to talk about, but Ghassan Khatib says they can still play an important role.

NEWS: PM Netanyahu is reportedly considering legislation to bypass the Supreme Court-ordered demolition of an “unauthorized” settlement outpost built on privately owned Palestinian land. The future of a Jewish settlement in occupied East Jerusalem appears to hinge on documents possessed by a Palestinian taxi driver. Pres. Abbas again warns Israel about the consequences of the death of any hunger striking prisoner, as one is reportedly near death. The PA says it has arrested suspects in the murder of the late Governor of Jenin. Hamas apologizes for shutting down a literary festival in Gaza. An Israeli city has reportedly banned girls from singing at an upcoming conference. In a telephone conversation, Sec. Clinton urges Netanyahu to use his new huge coalition to advance peace. Palestinians show no enthusiasm for Israel's new coalition. Ramallah’s Ashtar Theater is performing Richard II at an international Shakespeare Festival in London. COMMENTARY: Reuters interviews Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Charles Krauthammer says the new coalition means Israel is ready for war with Iran, but Nadav Eyal says Israel is probably bluffing. Natan Sachs says the revolt against Netanyahu over Iran from within Israel's security establishment should be a source of deep concern, not reassurance. Ahmed Rashid says any Israeli attack will deliver Iran massive support in the Muslim world it otherwise cannot attract. Niv Elis says his new coalition shows Netanyahu's centrist orientation, but Nir Eisikovits wonders if he will use his increased power to continue to pursue conflict with Iran or to help Israel, including by seeking peace with the Palestinians. Uri Savir says that for Israel, 2012 might be the year of cynical political decisions but 2013 must be the year of momentous national decisions. Lara Friedman says Israeli Amb. Oren correctly defined what it means to be “pro-Israel” in a recent speech. Dov Waxman says Palestinian citizens of Israel should not be forced to prove their loyalty through “National Service.”

NEWS: The murder of a respected West bank governor suggests lawlessness may be returning to towns like Jenin. Palestinians are hoping Egypt will help resolve the crisis over hunger striking prisoners. UNSG Ban says Israel should either charge prisoners or release them. Settlers are creating patrols in the West Bank, looking for Palestinian homes for Israel to demolish. The oldest Palestinian refugee camps run by the UN are slated for upgrades. The CEO of a construction company says settlers in "Ulpana" knew they were building on privately owned Palestinian land. A new Hamas force is reportedly thwarting rocket attacks against Israel. Palestine is attempting to participate in the upcoming United Nations Sustainable Development Conference as a state. A US congressional committee seeks to tighten controls on aid to the Palestinians and Egypt. Israel's separation barrier threatens an ancient way of life in West Bank villages. The Palestinian national air carrier, grounded since 2005, has resumed operations with flights between Egypt’s El-Arish and Amman. COMMENTARY: Fareed Zakaria says under PM Netanyahu Israel is now stronger than ever, but questions whether he can use his power for anything other than own survival in office. Gideon Levy says Israel's new coalition leaders are delegitimizing the country. The Boston Globe says the new government offers new hope for peace. Israel Harel predicts that the new coalition will mean that Likud's ideology shifts towards the center. Harriet Sherwood says Netanyahu outmaneuvered the militant pro-settler right in his own party. J.J. Goldberg says Kadima leader Mofaz got more out of the deal than Netanyahu. The Daily Star says Israel's unity government shows Palestinians also must reunify. Mya Guarnieri says African refugees and migrants have joined Palestinians as the most marginalized people in Israeli society. David Makovsky looks at how the new coalition might affect various Israeli policies. Yezid Sayigh says Hamas is struggling to turn the Arab uprisings into political gains.

NEWS: Israel says its inclusion on a UN list of human rights violators is “absurd.” Israel renews its "administrative detention" order against a senior Hamas figure. Four Palestinian protesters are injured by occupation forces at a protest near Ramallah. A new poll shows most Palestinians blame both Hamas and Fatah for the impasse in national unity talks. International Muslim organizations are donating $65 million to the health sector in Gaza. Abbas says he still sees PM Netanyahu as a peace partner. Israeli occupation forces order Palestinians to uproot 1,000 olive trees. A new poll confirms that Jewish Americans vastly prefer Pres. Obama over Mitt Romney. A major European supermarket group decides to boycott all products coming from Israeli settlements. Jewish and Muslim student groups are forging new links on some American campuses. COMMENTARY: Moshe Arens says even if it's ordered by the Supreme Court, evicting settlers from outposts is immoral. Akiva Eldar says Obama didn't need former Shin Bet chief Diskin to inform him that Netanyahu is not interested in peace. Bernard Avishai says Diskin's remarks may be the beginning of a stirring of the Israeli majority against present government policies. Kamel Abu Jaber says Israel isn't a safe place for Arab Christians. Uri Avnery says he's still an optimist and the two-state solution is the only way to end the conflict. Gil Troy and Rashid Khalidi continue their debate about the “Museum of Tolerance” being built on the site of a Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem. Raja Shehadeh says Israeli courts have at times softened the harshness of the occupation but this may have counterintuitively led to its perpetuation. Jeffrey Goldberg says that the hard-line positions of his recently deceased father uniquely position Netanyahu to deliver majority Israeli and Jewish opinion for a peace agreement.

NEWS: PM Netanyahu's new coalition has greatly increased his political power, while Kadima leader Mofaz will add a more moderate voice to the government. The new coalition is already arguing about Jewish religious privileges and exemptions. The CSM looks at how the new Israeli government's policies might change regarding Iran and the Palestinians. A second hunger-striking Palestinian prisoner is hospitalized. Pres. Abbas warns of a “disastrous” backlash if one of the hunger strikers dies. Abbas says he's ready to move forward with negotiations with Israel providing it offers “anything promising or positive.” Israel's attorney general is considering criminal prosecution against a Palestinian documentary filmmaker. An extremist Jewish Israeli organization takes out ads warning parents to keep their daughters away from Arabs. Palestinian citizens of Israel seem to be losing their enthusiasm for “National Service.” COMMENTARY: Reuters interviews PM Fayyad, who says Palestinians are internationally isolated and short on funds. The LA Times says it would be irresponsible and tragic to give up on a two-state solution. Shmuel Rosner says Netanyahu's new huge coalition majority can only be justified if it has similarly ambitious policies. Ha'aretz says the new coalition has stripped Netanyahu of any excuse not to move forward on peace. Carlo Strenger says Mofaz's two-stage peace plan could prove a moment of truth for both Netanyahu and Abbas. Uriel Epstein says self-determination for Israelis and Palestinians depends on a two-state solution. Ronald Tiersky says the answer might be a creative Israeli-Palestinian Confederation. The Jordan Times says Israel's new coalition is “dirty politics” and “temporary.” Barbara Slavin says Israel's new government will have to deal with a growing international boycott movement. Bernard Avishai says he should be appalled by the cynicism behind the new Israeli coalition, but he's actually relieved. Benny Morris says Israel's new coalition looks a lot like the one formed right before the 1967 war, and might be a prelude to an attack on Iran.

NEWS: Likud and Kadima leaders agree to cancel the planned September election in Israel and create a coalition government. PM Netanyahu says the move will enhance "stability." Palestinians express pessimism about the prospects for a peace agreement with the new Israeli government. Israel's Supreme Court refuses to release two Palestinian “administrative detainees” on hunger strike. Palestinian negotiator Erekat sufferers a non-fatal heart attack. Israel's Supreme Court says that an “unauthorized” settlement outpost must be demolished by June 1, in spite of government resistance to the order. Israeli occupation forces raid the offices of a Palestinian watchdog organization on Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The EU expresses concern about the condition of Palestinian hunger striking detainees. The PA reportedly agrees on a new cabinet in which Salam Fayyad will remain prime minister but Nabil Qassis will become finance minister. COMMENTARY: Hussein Ibish says ATFP President Ziad Asali has pioneered a genuine and indispensable Palestinian-American willingness to openly and honestly talk with pro-Israel Jewish Americans and Israeli officials. Amir Oren says Israel's new coalition government might pave the road to an attack on Iran. Bradley Burston says Israel's hand-picked government cannot last and will be soon challenged at the polls. Rep. Howard Berman says Israel's “Iron Dome” antimissile system is a strategic imperative for Israel, and also important for the United States. Meir Margalit explains what it's like working as an Israeli against the demolition of Palestinian homes and other occupation abuses. Gershon Baskin says Israeli activists are right to worry about “social justice” but should also have peace as a priority. Jonathan Marcus says Netanyahu has strengthened his political hand with the new coalition deal. Peter Joseph says a moderate middle ground must be staked out in the debate about the relationship between Jewish Americans and Israel. Khalaf Al Habtoor says there has to be a "Plan B" for Israel and the Palestinians. Nati Sharoni says Israel certainly does have a Palestinian negotiating partner, if it wants one.

NEWS: The Israeli military has closed an investigation into the killing of 21 members of a family in Gaza in 2009 and says no charges will be filed regarding the tragedy. Hamas denies that Khaled Meshal and the Politburo have been stripped of control of the organization's budget and paramilitary operations. A “blame-game” is hampering a solution to the Gaza energy crisis. Palestinians say new Israeli settlement plans threaten the Palestinian tourism industry. The US is reportedly pressuring the UN Human Rights Commissioner to postpone an investigation into Israeli settlement activity. Speaker Rivlin says the Knesset is likely to be desolved next week. Arye Deri may return to a senior position in the ultra-Orthodox Shas party. Abbas and PM Fayyad separately send condolence letters to PM Netanyahu upon the death of his father. A Palestinian TV station is sued as the PA media crackdown continues. Hezbollah may be stockpiling drones in anticipation of possible conflict with Israel. COMMENTARY: Alon Ben-Meir says Israel's continued independence depends on Palestinian independence. Hadani Ditmars explains how traveling overseas can easily cost Palestinian Jerusalemites their residency permits. Attila Somfalvi says Tzipi Livni's career is not over. Bruce Acks says most Israelis and Palestinians could find a peace agreement if their leaders would permit them the chance. Susan Hattis Rolef says the epidemic of settlement outposts challenges both Israel's rule of law and the prospects for peace with the Palestinians. Tony Karon says Netanyahu's push for a war with Iran is losing momentum. The National says hunger striking Palestinian prisoners are losing world attention, but Osama Al Sharif says the Arab world and others should rally to their cause. Gershom Gorenberg looks at the legacy of Netanyahu's recently deceased extremist father. Hussein Ibish says the PA must stop censoring the Internet.