News:
As winter begins to hi [1]t, Gaza's only power plant is up and running again [2], thanks to fuel from Qatar [3]. (New York Times/Xinhua/Reuters)
40,000 Palestinians [4] in Gaza flee their homes due to flooding [5]. (AP/Los Angeles Times)
Gaza's port suffers $100,000 [6] in storm related damage. (Ma'an)
Israeli occupation forces shoot and wound a young Palestinian [7] in Gaza near the Israeli border. (Xinhua)
A new poll shows that, although they are pessimistic, a majority of Palestinians are in favor of talks with Israel [8]. (Palestinian Center For Public Opinion)
Sources say Pres. Abbas has declined [9], for now, Sec. Kerry's proposal he meet with PM Netanyahu [10]. (Xinhua/Times of Israel)
The Israeli government approves pending legislation penalizing foreign-funded liberal NGOs [11]. (Xinhua)
An Israeli ministerial committee also approved a bill requiring a steep two thirds majority on any Jerusalem compromise [12]. (Jerusalem Post)
Israeli forces exchange fire [13] with Lebanese soldiers [14] after an Israeli sergeant is killed [15] near the border (New York Times/Xinhua/AFP)
The Israeli military shoots two Lebanese [16] in the skirmishing, and blames Lebanon [17]. (AP)
Lebanese, Israeli and UN officials meet [18] to discuss the violence, as neither side seems interested in a broader conflict [19]. (Reuters/Ha'aretz)
Recent successes in promoting settlement boycotts [20] give new life to the boycott movement. (AFP)
Former MK Azmi Bishara may be trying to broker [21] Hamas-Fatah negotiations. (Times of Israel)
A prominent Saudi prince criticizes the Obama administration [22], particularly on insufficient Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. (New York Times)
A Palestinian citizen of Israel almost becomes the world kickboxing champion [23]. (Ha'aretz)
Snows disrupt [24] this year's pilgrimages to Bethlehem. (The Media Line)
An outsourcing call center [25] is providing new jobs in Bethlehem. (BBC)
Palestinians are teaching the art of pickle-making [26] in Saudi Arabia. (Arab News)
33 more Iraqis are killed [27] in a string of attacks [28] throughout the country. (AP/New York Times)
An Iraqi official and his family are killed [29] by assailants. (New York Times)
The death toll [30] in a Syrian government military bombing attack [31] on Aleppo rises to 76, including 28 children [32]. (Reuters/AP/AFP)
The Syrian government may have continued to use chemical weapons [33] even as the West was threatening retaliation. (Foreign Policy)
Moderate Syrian rebel leaders vow to protect journalists [34]. (AP)
The UN seeks $6.5 billion in aid [35] for Syrian refugees next year. (Reuters)
Syrian refugees in Lebanon and elsewhere are facing a bitter winter [36]. (AP)
Yemen's parliament votes to ban the US use of drones [37] in its country. (Xinhua)
The Egyptian government faces an opposition badly divided between Islamists and liberals [38]. (Washington Post)
Turkey's deputy PM says relations with Israel are important and reparable [39]. (Times of Israel)
Tunisian parties finally agree on a technocratic caretaker PM [40]. (BBC)
Qatar's new emir seems to be shifting focus to domestic rather than foreign policy [41]. (The National)
Commentary:
ATFP Pres. Ziad J. Asali [42] says Israel needs to enforce the law against violent extremist "price tag" hooligans. (Ha'aretz)
ATFP Executive Director Ghaith Al-Omari [43] says there already are emerging effective models of Arab-American engagement. (Al Arabiya)
ATFP Senior Fellow Hussein Ibish [44] says the occupation structures a relationship of violence between Israelis and Palestinians. (The National)
Charles Bronfman and Peter Joseph [45] say the US will have to find ways to promote peace and strengthen Israel's security simultaneously. (Jerusalem Post)
Amira Hass [46] says Palestinian rage is contained for now but is about to boil over. (Ha'aretz)
Rami Khouri [47] suggests five points for Kerry to keep in mind on Israeli-Palestinian peace. (The Daily Star)
Betty Herschman [48] says both sides are responsible for, and must curb, violence in Jerusalem. (Jerusalem Post)
Mattia Toaldo, Fatima Ayub, Hugh Lovatt, and Dimi Reider [49] conduct a "stress test" on the state of the two state solution. (ECFR)
Steven Klein [50] asks if foreign troops will be necessary to secure an Israeli-Palestinian peace. (Ha'aretz)
Moshe Arens [51] says negotiations will not bring about an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Ha'aretz)
Dave Sharma [52] says innovative forms of Israeli-Palestinian cooperation may be paving the path to peace. (Times of Israel)
Oudeh Basharat [53] asks, where is the Israeli de Klerk? (Ha'aretz)
Avi Weiss [54] explains why he once picketed Nelson Mandela for supporting Palestinians. (The Forward)
Paul Scham [55] says the demand for Palestinian recognition of Israel as a "Jewish state" makes no sense. (Partners for Progressive Israel)
Jerome Siegel [56] says there are ways of helping address refugee issues while maintaining Israel's "Jewish character." (Foreign Policy)
Abeer Ayyoub [57] describes the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza without sufficient electricity this winter. (Ha'aretz)
Josh Nason [58] points out Hamas has suffered an unprecedented series of defeats, but is still hanging on in Gaza. (Tablet)
Avi Issacharoff [59] asks if Hamas' last resort is going to once again be Iran. (Times of Israel)
Ariel Ben Solomon [60] asks what's next for Israel's Bedouins now the mass relocation plan is postponed. (Jerusalem Post)
The Daily Star [61] says the Obama administration's policy on Syria is incomprehensible. (The Daily Star)
Ali Hashem [62] says Qatar is retooling its Syria policy. (Al Monitor)
James Traub [63] says the rise of Al Qaeda in Syria has been a complete game changer for everybody. (Foreign Policy)
David Ignatius [64] says Iran wants a nuclear deal, but negotiations will be tough. (Washington Post)
Abdullah Al-Otaibi [65] says the GCC must adapt to the new strategic situation in the region. (Asharq Al Awsat)
Mohammad Alrumaihi [66] says the debate on Gulf unification is gathering steam. (Gulf News)
Saad Dosari [67] says Oman's opposition to intensified Gulf unity should prompt GCC soul-searching. (Arab News)
The National [68] says Tunisia's selection of a new caretaker PM is a small but necessary step forward. (The National)
Ayesha Almazroui [69] says individual efforts can save many Syrian lives. (The National)
David Miliband [70] says more can be done for refugees. (The Daily Star)
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