News:
The US Consulate [1] in Jerusalem [2] says Israeli and Palestinian negotiators [3] have requested to meet [4]with each other. [5] (AP/New York Times/AFP/PNN/Ha’aretz)
PM Netanyahu [6] says Israel [7] will respond [8] to any Palestinian UN initiative. [9] (AP/New York Times/Washington Post/Ha’aretz)
Pres. Abbas reportedly will send Chief Negotiator Erekat to the US with a new plan to revive negotiations, [10] if Israel frees prisoners. (Ha’aretz)
Israeli Chief Negotiator Livni says Netanyahu and Abbas [11] should talk directly. (Ynet)
Fatah official Shaath says PLO will seek membership in 48 international organizations and conventions [12] if peace talks fail. (Ma’an)
FM Lieberman opposes any return [13] to Sec. Kerry’s initiative. (Ha’aretz)
Many think there are strong signs that indicate that this round of peace talks is over. [14] (Christian Science Monitor)
Many are pointing the finger at Israeli Housing Minister Ariel [15] as the primary culprit in sabotaging the most recent US initiative. (Buzzfeed)
Labor leader Herzog says the Knesset should put together an alternative coalition [16] which woulddesire peace. [17] (Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post)
Arab Foreign Ministers will hold an emergency meeting [18] due to the PA’s request to discuss the peace talks. (Ma’an)
Israel’s High Court of Justice urges the state to rethink its detention policies for Palestinian minors. [19](Jerusalem Post)
22 Palestinian women join the first PA commando unit. [20] (AP)
An Arab youth survey includes Palestine [21] for the first time. (The National)
A group of Christians says Israel violates Palestinian religious freedoms [22] each Easter. (Ma’an)
An ex-Palestinian prisoner teaches Hebrew [23] to Palestinian children. (AP)
Israeli occupation forces detain a Palestinian man [24] near Bethlehem. (Ma’an)
Israeli websites [25] are attacked by pro-Palestinian “hacktivists.” [26] (Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)
A senior IDF commander’s jeep is vandalized [27] in an Israeli settlement. (Ha’aretz)
Clashes in a Palestinian refugee camp [28] in southern Lebanon kill seven. [29] (AP/Jerusalem Post)
Hezbollah says Pres. Assad’s government is no longer in danger of falling. [30] (AP)
Former Russian PM Stepashin says Assad told him that most of the fighting in Syria would be over by the end of the year. [31] (Reuters)
A surge of violence in Syria kills 12. [32] (New York Times)
An Egyptian court upholds the sentence [33] for three prominent activists. [34] (AP/Reuters)
Al-Qaeda chief Al Zawahiri’s brother [35] is to stand trial in Egypt. (The National)
An explosion in Fallujah kills over 17 Iraqi soldiers. [36] (New York Times)
Commentary:
Faisal Al Yafai [37] says Israel alone cannot end its own occupation. (the National)
Oudeh Basharat [38] says neither Palestinians nor Israelis should give up on Abbas. (Ha’aretz)
Amer Al Sabaileh [39] says the impact of the US pulling back from the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations would be dramatic.(Jordan Times)
Gideon Levy [40] says the Palestinians cannot be blamed for the failure of the talks. (Ha’aretz)
Avi Issacharoff [41] looks at how the Palestinians view the collapse of peace talks. (Times of Israel)
Abdul Rahman Al Rashed [42] says Kerry’s Middle East “peace dream” has ended. (Al Arabiya)
Avirama Golan [43] tells Kerry to go away and let Israel’s “true colors shine.” (Ha’aretz)
Moshe Arens [44] says Kerry has finally understood that the peace process was a “farce.” (Ha’aretz)
Rami Khouri [45] says former Amb. Kurtzer offers a valuable plan for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. (Daily Star)
Tal Harris [46] says there are concrete measures that still need to be taken before negotiations end. (Jerusalem Post)
Sharif Nashashibi [47] asks if the Palestinians will ever go to the ICC. (Al Arabiya)
Thomas Friedman [48] says Sheldon Adelson and Ayatollah Khamenei are both working to destroy Israel. (New York Times)
Shmuel Rosner [49] says the only way of restraining Sheldon Adelson in Israel is by establishing other newspapers. (New York Times)
Eric Yoffie [50] asks why young Jewish-Americans are “drifting away from Israel.” (Ha’aretz)
Ayesh Ali Awas [51] and Nabil Naeem [52] debate if security measures or ideology are more effective in defeating Al-Qaeda. (Asharq al-Awsat)
Hussein Ibish [53] says Lebanon is unable to cope with the Syrian refugee crisis. (The National)
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