Date

November 10th

News:
 
Palestinian man stabs and critically wounds an Israeli soldier in Tel Aviv. (Reuters/New York Times/Ma’an/PNN/JTA/Ha’aretz)
 
PM Netanyahu vows a harsh response to the ongoing wave of Arab violence. (AP/PNN/Jerusalem Post)
 
A Palestinian citizen of Israel is shot by Israeli police, causing protests. (New York Times/AFP/Times of Israel)
 
An Israeli ministerial committee approves a bill that would apply all laws passed by the Knesset to the settlements. (Ma’an/PNN/Ha’aretz)
 
Palestinian official Shaath says the Knesset bill is dangerous and is aimed to eventually annexing territories. (Ma’an)
 
FM Lieberman says Palestinian citizens of Israel living in northern Israel should notremain citizens if there is an agreement for a Palestinian state. (Times of Israel)
 
Israel will reportedly confiscate 3176 acres around the occupied West Bank village of Beit Iksa for military purposes. (Times of Israel)
 
Pres. Abbas says he would he like to move the shrine of the late Pres. Arafat toJerusalem. (Ma’an/Ynet)
 
Fatah cancels the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the death of Arafat in Gaza. (Ma’an/JTA)
 
Israel will allow Palestinian fishermen in Gaza to export fish to the occupied West Bank. (Ma’an)
 
A Jewish American billionaire Sheldon Adelson calls Palestinians an “invented people.”(Times of Israel/Jerusalem Post)
 
A new recording from 1983 between Pres. Reagan and PM Begin exposes the fraught relationship between the two leaders during the First Lebanon War. (Times of Israel/Ha’aretz)
 
Palestine’s Sheikh Khalifa mosque opens for worship. (The National)
 
The Syrian Observatory for Human Right says five nuclear engineers were killed in the outskirts of Damascus. (Reuters)
 
Pres. Assad says he will consider the UN ceasefire proposal for Aleppo. (AP)
 
Iraqi officials say ISIS leader al-Baghdadi was wounded in an airstrike in the Anbar province. (AP/New York Times/Washington Post/The National)
 
The New York Times looks at the obstacles that limit targets and pace of strikes on ISIS. (New York Times)
 
Pres. Obama will deploy an additional 1500 American troops to Iraq. (New York Times/Washington Post)
 
Pres. Masoum will visit Saudi Arabia, raising hopes of a tentative thaw in relations between the Arab neighbors. (Reuters)
 
Jordan imposes new rules on Muslim clerics to counter ISIS ideology. (Washington Post)
 
Egypt’s Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis allegedly pledges allegiance to ISIS in an audio clip. (Reuters/AP/New York Times/The National)
 
Egypt’s ultimatum for civil society expires. (AP)
 
King Abdullah of Jordan meets with EU Foreign Policy Chief Mogherini in Amman. (Jordan Times)
 
The USEU and Iran hold an unscheduled second day of nuclear talks in Oman. (Reuters/AP/Washington Post)
 
The El Feel oil field in Libya has closed down due to a power outage. (Reuters)
 
Commentary:
 
Oudeh Basharat says when the victim is a Palestinian citizen of Israel, an entire country “devotedly protects the murderers.” (Ha’aretz)
 
Ha’aretz says the recent death of a Palestinian citizen of Israel in Kafr Kana is the direct result of the latest rules of engagement issued by Public Security Minister Aharonovitch. (Ha’aretz)
 
Pres. Rivlin says its time for all Israelis to denounce violence and seek new avenues for respectful dialogue. (Ynet)
 
Rogel Alpher says what’s happening in occupied East Jerusalem is not an intifada, but a civil war. (Ha’aretz)
 
Mattia Toaldo and Hugh Lovatti ask if EU recognition of the State of Palestine could be more than symbolic. (Al-Monitor)
 
David Horovitz says many Israelis are fed up with Netanyahu and are looking to Lieberman. (Times of Israel)
 
Nathan Guttman says Adelson and Saban are trying to “out-hawk” each other on pro-Israel issues. (Jewish Daily Forward)
 
Abdul Rahman Al Rashed says extremism is most dangerous to the community that creates and hosts it. (Asharq al-Awsat)
 
Sharif Nashashibi asks if Egypt’s Sinai offensive misdiagnoses the actual problem. (The National)
 
H.A. Hellyer says its the end of an era for Egypt’s NGO’s. (Al Arabiya)
 
Luay Al Khateeb and Ahmed Mehdi say the Kurds should not leave Iraq. (New York Times)
 
Jackson Diehl says Obama hopes “direct diplomacy” with Iran will finally work. (Washington Post)
 
Trita Parsi says Obama’s letter to Ayatollah Khamenei is “pragmatic politics.” (Foreign Policy)
 
The National says an Iranian nuclear deal is in everybody’s interest. (The National)
 
Hussein Ibish looks at arguments both for and against a Nidaa Tounes-Ennahda coalition in Tunisia. (The National)

News:

PM Netanyahu says there will be no change in the status of holy sites in occupied East Jerusalem. (AP/JTA) 

The PLO calls on international media not to use the term “Temple Mount,” saying its use does not"adhere to international law." (Ha’aretz/Ynet)

FM Lieberman says some Israeli politicians are exploiting tensions in Jerusalem. (Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Tensions in Jerusalem pose a risk to Jordan. (Reuters)

Islamic Jihad says clashes in Jerusalem will increase. (Ma’an)

A new poll indicates half of Palestinians anticipate more violence with Israel in the near future. (Ynet)

The ICC says it will not take action against Israel regarding the Gaza flotilla. (AP/Ha’aretz)

Three Israeli soldiers are injured in a hit-and-run incident near the al-Arrub refugee camp. (Ma’an/PNN/JTA/Ha’aretz/The Media Line)

Palestinian man turns himself in for having run over three Israeli soldiers. (Ma’an/JTA/Times of Israel)

Israel rejects Amnesty International’s report on war crimes in Gaza. (JTA)

Israel agrees that Egypt can deploy two more infantry battalions in northern Sinai. (Ma’an/Times of Israel)

Pres. Obama will ask Congress for more measures approving force against ISIS. (AP/New York Times/The National)

US-led airstrikes hit Al-Nusra in northwest Syria. (Reuters)

Iraq’s FM al-Jaafari says Iraq does not want foreign fighters against ISIS on the ground. (AP)

ISIS’ wave of momentum is turning into a slight ripple. (New York Times)

A former Egyptian political activist joins ISIS and dies in Iraq. (Washington Post)

Libya’s Supreme Court declares the internationally-recognized parliament to be unconstitutional. (Reuters/AP/The National)

Pres. Sisi appoints Fayza Abul Naga as his National Security Advisor. (New York Times)

The Lebanese Parliament extends its own mandate by more than two and a half years, supposedly due to the security situation. (New York Times/Washington Post)

Obama says the prospects for a nuclear deal with Iran are an “open question.” (AP)

Commentary:

Navi Pillay says Europe should support Palestine’s bid to join the ICC. (New York Times)

Lara Friedman looks at what midterm elections mean for American policies on  Israel and the Palestinians. (Ha’aretz)

David Horovitz says Jerusalem is starting to burn. (Times of Israel)

Avi Issacharoff says suicide terrorism is returning to Jerusalem. (Times of Israel)

Gershom Gorenberg says the Israeli left has failed to emotionally connect with Israelis regarding the occupation in East Jerusalem. (Ha’aretz)

Ari Shavit says Netanyahu’s “hate-hate” relationship with Obama will only get worse in the next two years. (Ha’aretz)

Akiva Eldar says Netanyahu and Lieberman are deepening Israel’s international isolation. (Al-Monitor)

Joyce Karam says a Republican Congress will not change Obama’s Middle East policy. (Al Arabiya)

Eyad Abu Shakra says the next few months will probably be critical in defining the future shape of the Middle East.  (Asharq al-Awsat)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed says confronting extremism in Saudi Arabia requires bold leadership rather than “hesitant, scared and suspicious people.” (Al Arabiya)

News:
 
PM Netanyahu blames “militant Islamic incitement” for growing tensions in Jerusalem. (AP/Times of Israel)
 
Netanyahu calls King Abdallah of Jordan to reassure him that Israel is committed to maintain the status quo of Jerusalem holy sites. (New York Times/AFP/JTA/Jordan Times)
 
EU Foreign Policy Chief Mogherini says the violence in Jerusalem underscores the need for resumption of peace talks. (Reuters/JTA/Times of Israel)
 
Pres. Erdogan calls Israeli actions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound “barbaric and despicable.” (Times of Israel)
 
Israel’s Chief Rabbi Yosef urges Jews not to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. (Ynet)
 
Palestinian youth clash with Israeli police in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post)
 
Pres. Abbas says later this month he will submit a UNSC resolution declaring the1967 lines to be the borders of a Palestinian state. (Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)
 
Palestinians and Israeli forces clash outside Ofer prison in the occupied West Bank. (Washington Post)
 
Palestinian officials say a series of blasts targeted the homes and vehicles ofFatah leaders in Gaza. (Reuters/Ma’an/Jerusalem Post)
 
Hamas leader Abu Marzouk urges PM Hamdallah to visit Gaza, despite anti-Fatah bomb blasts. (Ma'an)
 
Gen. Dempsey says Israel went to "extraordinary lengths" to limit civilian casualties in the recent war in Gaza. (Reuters/Ha’aretz)
 
The Palestinian government will hold its next session in Gaza. (Ma’an)
 
A new poll indicates that the majority of Palestinians support a two-state solution. (Ma’an)
 
Iraqi Kurdish forces in Kobani have not yet broken ISIS’ siege of the city. (Reuters)
 
Ayatollah al-Sistani says corruption in the Iraqi army enabled ISIS to seize control of much of northern Iraq. (Reuters)
 
Gen. Austin says US attacks are demoralizing ISIS fighters. (CNN)
 
Pres. Obama reportedly wrote a letter to Ayatollah Khamenei regarding shared US-Iranian interests in the battle against ISIS. (AP/JTA)
 
Egypt’s evacuation plans are angering some people in Sinai. (AP)
 
The Pentagon acknowledges that there are more than 600 reported cases of chemical exposure in Iraq. (New York Times)
 
Commentary:
 
Rami Khouri praises Pres. Rivlin’s visit to Kafr Qassem, which was the scene of one of many Israeli massacres of Palestinians. (Jordan Times)
 
Avi Issacharoff looks at the new dangerous status quo in occupied East Jerusalem. (Times of Israel)
 
The Daily Star says there is an Intifada in the making in occupied East Jerusalem. (Daily Star)
 
Ben Caspit says Israel and Jordan fear more violence at holy sites in occupied East Jerusalem. (Al-Monitor)
 
Linda Gradstein asks if there is a “car intifada” in Jerusalem. (The Media Line)
 
Shimon Shiffer says Netanyahu may go down in history as the prime minister who lost Jerusalem. (Ynet)
 
Shmuel Rosner says the status quo at Jerusalem holy sites is unjust, but better than the alternative. (New York Times)
 
David Ignatius says Obama should revamp his foreign policy team. (Washington Post)
 
Walter Pincus says Americans must understand their limitations in the fight against ISIS. (Washington Post)
 
Susannah George looks at “bloodthirsty” Shiite militias. (Foreign Policy)
 
The New York Times says the Egyptian government is silencing pro-democracy groups. (New York Times)
 
Abdallah Schleifer says the Egyptian press is not in peril. (Al Arabiya)
 
George Hishmeh says Tunisia has confirmed its democratic trajectory. (Jordan Times)
 
Amir Taheri says hope remains for Lebanon. (Asharq al-Awsat)
 
Dov Zakheim says Obama is making a bad and dangerous deal with Iran. (Foreign Policy)

November 4th

News:

Israeli occupation forces demolish two Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem. (Reuters/Ma’an/Ha’aretz)

Palestinian Chief Negotiator Erekat says Israel’s plans for 500 new settler homes in occupied East Jerusalem are a “slap in the face” to the US and the international community. (AFP/Times of Israel)

The US condemns Israel’s plan for new settlement housing units in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ha’aretz)

The New York Times looks at the history of the Ramat Shlomo settlement in occupied East Jerusalem. (New York Times)

The Knesset passes a law aimed at limiting the release of Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis. (Reuters/AFP/JTA/Ha’aretz)

Erekat reportedly asked Sec. Kerry to support a new Palestinian UN initiative. (Times of Israel/Jerusalem Post)

EU Foreign Policy Chief Mogherini calls for a Palestinian state within five years. (Times of Israel/Jerusalem Post)

Hamas calls on Palestinians to protest in support of access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. (Ma’an)

Israel will reopen its two border crossings with Gaza. (AFP/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga forces and moderate Syrian rebels bomb ISIS positions in Kobani. (Reuters)

ISIS releases 93 Syrian Kurds. (Reuters)

Human Rights Watch says ISIS abused captive Kurdish children from Kobani. (AP)

France says the anti-ISIS coalition must not abandon moderate rebels in Aleppo. (Reuters)

Shi'ite Muslims gather at shrines and mosques across Iraq for Ashoura with Iraqi security forces on alert. (Reuters/AP)

Saudi Arabia and Iran have offered competing aid packages to the Lebanese military. (Washington Post)

VP Biden says he never apologized to Turkey regarding ISIS’ growth. (AP)

An Egyptian cleric defends the government's forced evacuation of families from Sinai. (New York Times)

Iran has reportedly agreed to ship much of its stockpile of uranium to Russia if it reaches a broader nuclear deal with the West. (New York Times)

Commentary:

Hussein Ibish says if the Supreme Court forces the State Department to issue passports implying that Jerusalem is part of Israel this will completely alter the American foreign policy-making process. (Now)

Raphael Ahren says Israeli officials fear they can no longer rely on Washington’s veto in the Security Council. (Times of Israel)

Nahum Barnea says a unilateral withdrawal from the occupied West Bank will prevent Israel's international isolation. (Ynet)

Nabila Ramdani says bus segregation in the occupied West Bank is only one aspect of Israeli “apartheid.” (The National)

Hassan Barari says Israel’s plan to change the status quo in occupied East Jerusalem is a “perfect recipe” for another bloody confrontation between Israelis and Palestinians. (Jordan Times)

Akiva Eldar says Netanyahu’s government is using the Al Aqsa mosque for political purposes at the risk of damaging the fragile status quo. (Al-Monitor)

Peter Beinart asks why the Obama administration is angry with PM Netanyahu. (Ha’aretz)

Ron Kampeas says political and diplomatic uncertainty fuel the US-Israel divide. (JTA)

Uzi Baram says Israel’s right-wing fanatics do not speak for the people. (Ha’aretz)

FM Fabius says, after Kobani, the anti-ISIS coalition must save the people of Aleppo. (Washington Post)

Tirana Hassan says Shi’ite militias in Iraq are using the fight against ISIS to destroy Sunni Arab communities. (Foreign Policy)

November 3rd

News:
 
Israeli forces continue to impose restrictions on Palestinian access to the Al-Aqsa mosque. (Ma’an)
 
PM Netanyahu calls for “calm and restraint” in Jerusalem. (AP/New York Times/JTA/Times of Israel)
 
King Abdullah of Jordan and Netanyahu reportedly met secretly to discuss tensions inJerusalem. (JTA/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel/Jerusalem Post)
 
The visit by right wing Israeli MK Moshe Feiglin to the Al Aqsa Mosque compound causes tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. (New York Times)
 
Pres. Abbas angers Israeli officials by writing to the family of a Palestinian accused of trying to assassinate an Israeli right wing activist. (AFP/JTA/The National)
 
Israeli Chief Negotiator Livni says Abbas’ tough rhetoric could lead to an escalation in violence. (Times of Israel)
 
King Abdullah of Jordan says his country will continue to safeguard Jerusalem's Muslim and Christian holy sites. (Ha’aretz)
 
The Arab League says Israel may be crossing a “red line” regarding violence at holy sites in occupied East Jerusalem. (AFP)
 
Hamas leader Haniyeh claims Israel is planning to “demolish” the Al-Aqsa mosque. (PNN) 
 
Sec. Kerry calls Netanyahu to apologize regarding reports that an American official called him a “chickenshit.”(JTA)
 
Palestinian negotiators will meet with Kerry today in Washington. (Ha’aretz)
 
Former Pres. Peres says Israel cannot be Jewish and democratic without peace. (JTA/Times of Israel)
 
106 retired Israeli generals write a letter to Netanyahu endorsing peace with the Palestinians. (Jewish Daily Forward)
 
Israel is preparing the next phase of planning for 640 new settlement housing units in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ha’aretz/The National)
 
The PA asks Israel for additional Gaza border crossings. (Times of Israel)
 
Israeli occupation forces detain 23 Palestinians in East Jerusalem. (Ma’an)
 
Israeli occupation forces demolish three Palestinian homes near Nablus. (Ma’an/PNN)
 
A Jerusalem train line that was supposed to connect Jews and Arabs has widened the divide. (Washington Post)
 
Hospitals in the occupied West Bank are facing a severe financial crisis. (Ma’an)
 
The Taybeh brewery in a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank is now making wine as well as beer. (AP)
 
Israel closes its two border crossings with Gaza. (JTA)
 
An explosion targets Egyptian troops near the Gaza border. (AP/The National)
 
Egypt says it has evidence of links between Sinai-based insurgents and ISIS. (Jerusalem Post)
 
Iraqi Kurds join the fight against ISIS in Kobani. (Reuters/AP)
 
ISIS seizes control of a gas field in the central province of Homs. (Reuters)
 
The Al-Nusra Front is massing its forces in Syria near a crossing with Turkey. (AP/Washington Post)
 
The US is helping Iraqi security forces prepare for an offensive against ISIS to retake Mosul. (New York Times)
 
Canadian warplanes launches their first airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq. (AP)
 
Saudi Arabia is mobilizing its clerics and media against jihadi recruitment. (Reuters)
 
Qatar serves as a haven for anti-American groups, while remaining close to the US. (Reuters)
 
A Kurdish rebel leader says the US could mediate in talks with Turkey. (Reuters)
 
Egyptian journalists protest editors’ pledge not to criticize the government. (New York Times)
 
Iran blocks UN nuclear inspectors, throwing the quest for an agreement with the P5+1 into doubt. (Wall Street Journal)
 
Commentary:
 
Hussein Ibish says increased US-Israeli tensions present new opportunities for Palestinians if they proceed carefully. (The National)
 
The Washington Post says Pres. Obama should reset relations with Netanyahu. (Washington Post)
 
Raed Omari says escalating tensions in Jerusalem are a major problem for Jordan. (Al Arabiya)
 
Oudeh Basharat looks at the legacy of late PM Yitzhak Rabin for Arabs. (Ha’aretz)
 
Eitan Haber says the man who assassinated Rabin killed peace. (Ynet)
 
Gideon Levy says Jerusalem is “divided, torn and scarred.” (Ha’aretz)
 
David Horovitz interviews Israel’s Minister of Science, Yaakov Peri. (Times of Israel)
 
Raviv Drucker asks why Netanyahu has not been ousted yet. (Ha’aretz)
 
Steve Clemons says for the Arab world to prosper, it must embrace change. (The National)
 
Jamal Khashoggi looks at the current situation in Mosul. (Al Arabiya)
 
Mshari al-Zaydi says ISIS needs to be confronted online. (Asharq al-Awsat)
 
The Jordan Times says Jordan must confront extremism and radicalism in the region. (Jordan Times)
 
Rami Khouri says Egypt is copying US and Israeli counterterrorism strategies that only exacerbate the threat of violent extremism. (Daily Star)
 
Abdul Rahman Al Rashed looks at ISIS’s enslavement of women. (Al Arabiya)
 
The AP interviews KRG PM Nechervan Barzani. (AP)

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