News:
Hamas allegedly notifies Pres. Abbas it's willing to join a unity government [1] in preparation for new elections. (Ma'an)
A new poll shows a small majority of Palestinians opposed [2] to resumed negotiations with Israel andbelieve they are dead [3]. (Palestinian Center For Public Opinion/Ma'an/Jerusalem Post)
Palestinian officials say the US is pressuring them to recognize Israel as a "Jewish state [4]." (Ha'aretz)
UN officials say settlement activity cannot be reconciled [5] with a two-state solution. (PNN)
The EU warns Israel [6] not to announce more settlement activity [7] after the next round of prisoner release. (AP/Ha'aretz)
The US welcomes a pledged EU aid package [8] for Israel and the Palestinians in the case of peace. (Xinhua)
Israel allows more truckloads of goods into Gaza [9]. (Xinhua)
Quartet Envoy Tony Blair expresses deep concern [10] about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. (PNN)
Israeli occupation forces [11] storm a village near Bethlehem and conduct a widescale military drill. (Ma'an)
Palestinians who served time for "security-related offenses [12]" are banned from a nature reserve in the occupied West Bank. (Ha'aretz)
Israel and Lebanon [13] try to defuse tensions [14] after a deadly [15] border incident [16]. (New York Times/AP/Los Angeles Times/Christian Science Monitor)
Israel mulls its options [17] since it believes a lone, rogue Lebanese [18] soldier was at fault. (Ha'aretz/Jerusalem Post)
A car bomb attack [19] targets a Hezbollah military base [20] in eastern Lebanon. (AP/Reuters)
The US reaffirms to Israel its determination to stop Iran [21] from possessing a nuclear weapon. (Xinhua)
The boycott vote against Israel [22] by the American Studies Association is a stinging but largely symbolic rebuke. (New York Times)
Now that a forced mass relocation plan has been shelved, Bedouins in Israel [23] are demanding recognition. (The Forward)
African migrants [24] in Israel protest [25]their prolonged detentions [26]. (AP/YNet/Jerusalem Post)
Activists say Syrian government warplanes have bombed Aleppo [27] again, killing 13. (AP)
The UN says the next Syrian conflict "peace conference [28]" will begin on January 22 in Montreux. (AP)
Lacking funding and supplies, more moderate Syrian opposition fighters are defecting to anti-western militias [29]. (Christian Science Monitor)
There are now 3.1 million [30] Syrian refugees in Jordan, 842,000 [31] in Lebanon, and approaching 1.5 million [32] in Turkey. (Xinhua)
Freezing children [33] are starving to death in Syria as aid can’t reach them. (Reuters)
Egyptian state TV says a bomb has exploded near a school in Cairo [34] without causing any injuries. (AP)
The Egyptian government apologizes [35]for a badly botched Constitution banner [36]. (Reuters/Los Angeles Times)
A homemade bomb wounds two police officers in Bahrain [37]. (AP)
A senior Iranian official insists a full nuclear agreement is achievable [38]. (AP)
Saudi Arabia [39] passes a new law cracking down on dissent and defamation. (AP)
65 people are killed in Iraq [40] in the bloodiest day of violence there in two months. (AP)
A Tunisian rapper questions what has been gained by the Arab uprisings [41]. (BBC)
BP signs of $16 billion deal [42] to develop Oman's shale gas reserves. (Asharq Al Awsat)
Commentary:
Hassan Barari [43] says no Palestinian leadership can accept an Israeli military presence in an independent Palestinian state. (Jordan Times)
Rasha Abou Jalal [44] says winter storms are causing a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. (Al Monitor)
The National [45] says the people of Gaza are suffering while Hamas has no focus. (The National)
Maysoon Zayid [46] says the new Palestinian movie "Omar" is a stark representation of the realities of occupation. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)
Hilik Bar [47] says, despite conventional wisdom, there are reasons to hope PM Netanyahu can be a peacemaker. (Jerusalem Post)
Akiva Eldar [48] says Netanyahu has to find a way to keep negotiations with the Palestinians from collapsing. (Al Monitor)
Sefi Rachlevsky [49] says even if Netanyahu "pretends to be on the brink" of an agreement with the Palestinians, he should never be saved by the Israeli center-left. (Ha'aretz)
Ha'aretz [50]says the bill targeting liberal Israeli NGOs shouldn't be softened, it should be struck down. (Ha'aretz)
David Horovitz [51] interviews new Labor Party leader Herzog. (Times of Israel)
Chemi Shalev [52] describes a "pro-Israel" discussion in New York that ended in walkout, insults and recriminations. (Ha'aretz)
Arie Hasit [53] says banning controversial speakers contradicts Hillel's mission. (Ha'aretz)
Jay Michaelson [54] asks if the Israel of today is becoming the South Africa of the 1980s. (The Forward)
Alan Dershowitz [55] says the ASA Israel boycott vote was a "victory for bigotry." (Ha'aretz)
Chemi Shalev [56] says the ASA boycott could spark Israel-centered brawls at campuses across the US. (Ha'aretz)
The Jerusalem Post [57] says Israel must remain vigilant along the Lebanese border. (Jerusalem Post)
Fayez Sara [58]says both Syrian Pres. Assad and the "jihadists" are dangerous extremists. (Asharq Al Awsat)
Fawaz Gerges [59] says Saudi Arabia and Iran must end its "proxy war" in Syria. (Gulf News)
Doyle McManus [60] calls US policy towards Syria "feeble." (Los Angeles Times)
Cengiz Çandar [61] says both the US and Turkey are rethinking their Syria policies. (Al Monitor)
John Hudson [62] says the US is considering closer ties to "hard-line Islamists" in Syria. (Foreign Policy)
Michael Glackin [63] says the West has abandoned its allies in Syria. (The Daily Star)
The CSM [64] says American empathy for Syrian suffering is about to be tested again during a tough winter. (Christian Science Monitor)
Lyse Doucet [65]looks at the struggle of Syrians for the most basic staples such as bread. (BBC)
Brian Klaas [66] and Jason Pack [67] say Tunisia remains the best hope for Arab democracy. (Los Angeles Times)
Iscandar Mamari [68] says US drone strikes are infuriating the people of Yemen. (The Media Line)
Christian Emery [69] says Iran's leaders face significant hard-line opposition to a nuclear deal with the West. (Asharq Al Awsat)
Bernard Haykel [70] and Daniel Kurtzer [71] say Israel and Saudi Arabia have very different concerns regarding Iran. (The Daily Star)