News:
Palestinians are appealing for international help [1] as peace talks appear at an impasse. (Xinhua)
Palestinian negotiators suggest the US and Russia hold "Geneva talks" [2] on the Israeli-Palestinian question. (Ha'aretz)
Pres. Peres reportedly recently addressed 29 Arab foreign ministers [3]. (YNet)
With four Israelis and 24 Palestinians killed recently [4], a surge in West Bank violence is being called "individual." (Washington Post)
A Palestinian citizen of Israel pleads guilty to planting a bomb on a bus [5] last year. (Reuters)
The Foreign Press Association accuses Israeli occupation forces of "deliberately targeting" [6]journalists. (AFP)
Bedouin citizens [7] of Israel protest [8] forced mass relocation plans [9]. (New York Times/AP/Los Angeles Times)
The Israeli government claims 80% of Bedouins have agreed [10] to the plan. (Ha'aretz)
Palestinian citizens of Israel react with anger to proposals to "Judaize" the Galilee [11]. (Ha'aretz)
Israeli police say one [12] of their volunteers killed a Palestinian [13] inside Israel during a raid. (AP/Xinhua)
An exhibit of photographs [14] in Jerusalem tells [15] the long story of Palestinian history [16]. (New York Times/BBC/AFP)
Hamas cancels its annual anniversary [17] celebration in Gaza due to deepening economic woes [18]. (AP/The Guardian)
Egypt is continuing to revoke the citizenship of Hamas leaders [19]. (Jerusalem Post)
Israel's new [20] Labor Party leader Herzog [21] meets with Pres. Abbas [22]. (AP/Xinhua/Jerusalem Post)
Christmas season in Bethlehem [23] gets an early start this year. (AP)
PA police arrest 20 Salafists [24] affiliated with Al Qaeda in the occupied West Bank. (AFP)
Israeli occupation forces arrest 15 Palestinians [25] in the West Bank. (Ma'an)
The Palestinian Teachers' Union says it will strike [26] in the West Bank on Monday. (Ma'an)
Newly reinstated Israeli FM Lieberman seems to have toned down [27] his political style somewhat. (New York Times)
PM Netanyahu is once again under fire for extravagant expenses [28]. (AP)
Former PM Olmert says Netanyahu [29] has severely damaged relations with the US, including byinterfering in American elections [30]. (AP/Ha'aretz)
The Palestinian ambassador to Nigeria calls for economic sanctions against Israel [31]. (Xinhua)
Israel is reportedly trying to identify Iranian violations [32] of its recent nuclear agreement. (Xinhua)
659 people were killed [33] in Iraq in November. (Xinhua)
Iraqi café owners begin to get seminars on how to stop suicide bombers [34]. (AFP)
Blasts kill at Least 12 mourners [35] at the funeral of an Iraq Sunni leader. (New York Times)
18 Sunnis kidnapped in Iraq are found shot [36]. (AP)
Nine are killed in sectarian clashes [37] in northern Lebanon. (AP)
Egypt's draft new constitution [38] enshrines greater rights but promises little change [39] from traditional government. (AP/New York Times)
As it pushes for a tougher foreign policy, Saudi Arabia seems to have few options [40]. (Reuters)
Commentary:
Former PM Fayyad [41] discusses justice, Palestinian rights and the legacy of Nelson Mandela. (New York Times)
Hussein Ibish [42] says core of the Palestinian struggle is one for basic human equality. (The National)
Akiva Eldar [43] says negotiators must begin to treat Israeli settlements as obstacles to peace. (Al Monitor)
Samih Shabib [44] says Palestinians shouldn't withdraw from negotiations, but Khalil Shaheen [45] says they should. (Asharq Al Awsat)
Alon Tal and Yousef Abu-Mayla [46] say there is no reason or excuse for Gaza to be turned into a sewer. (New York Times)
The Economist [47] looks at the plight of Palestinian refugees fleeing Syria. (The Economist)
Yossi Shain [48] says the weakened US position in the Middle East means Israel must push harder for peace. (YNet)
Oudeh Basharat [49] says the mass relocation of Israel's Bedouins is typical of the present government's racism. (Ha'aretz)
Sami Michael [50] says the silencing of protests against the planned mass relocation of Israeli Bedouins is unconscionable. (YNet)
Joel Golovensky [51] says the Bedouins are Israeli citizens with a particular culture and bitter experience. (Jerusalem Post)
The Jerusalem Post [52] says Israel must impose "law and order" on the Bedouins. (Jerusalem Post)
Ha'aretz [53] says the plan for "Judaization" of the Galilee means racism. (Ha'aretz)
Ma'an interviews Cecilia Baeza [54] on the history of Palestinian immigration to Latin America. (Ma'an)
Norman Solomon and Abba A. Solomon [55] say Israel is trying to wreck the nuclear agreement with Iran. (The Daily Star)
John Hannah [56] says the Iran nuclear agreement is likely to start an arms race in the Middle East. (Foreign Policy)
Hassan Barari [57] says there hasn't really been an actual nuclear deal with Iran yet. (Arab News)
Shlomi Eldar [58] says Israel's Foreign Ministry is continuing to lose relevance. (Al Monitor)
Bruce Riedel [59] says an Israeli-Saudi axis against Iran is unlikely. (Al Monitor)
Fred Hiatt [60] says Syria could prove to be Pres. Obama's "Rwanda." (Washington Post)
Rami Khouri [61] says Egypt is the harbinger for the future of much of the Arab world. (The Daily Star)
The National [62] says the draft Egyptian Constitution is getting a surprisingly warm welcome from the public. (The National)