News:
A three-hour meeting [1] between Israeli and Palestinian [2] negotiators ends without clear sign [3] ofprogress. [4] (Ma’an/Jerusalem Post/JTA/Times of Israel)
FM Lieberman says the package deal [5] being discussed is not the same [6] as it was two weeks ago. (Jerusalem Post/Ynet)
Israel [7] appropriates Palestinian land [8] in the occupied West Bank [9] by recognizing another settlement outpost. [10] (Reuters/PNN/Ha’aretz/The National)
A Fatah official says the Israeli government is committed to colonization. [11] (PNN)
Israeli chief negotiator Livni [12] says Economy Minister Bennett [13] is stoking settler violence. [14](Ha’aretz/Ynet/Times of Israel)
Senior Israeli officials say they have transferred all the PA revenues [15] they collected in March. (Ha’aretz)
British Party Labor leader Miliband criticizes expansion [16] of Israeli settlements. (BBC)
A PLO committee will travel to Gaza [17] for reconciliation talks. [18] (Ma’an/Xinhua)
Israelis accuse Pres. Abbas of “terrorism.” [19] (Ma’an)
Palestinian citizens of Israel protest in Nazareth against national service. [20] (Ha’aretz)
Israel’s drive to export its new-found natural gas could help rebuild some strained relations. [21](Reuters)
Hamas will launch a satellite channel [22] in Gaza. (Ma’an)
A trip to Auschwitz [23] by Palestinian university students causes an uproar. (Washington Post)
Israel says Sec. Kerry’s remarks [24] on Iran’s nuclear threshold is “not acceptable.” [25](Reuters/Jerusalem Post)
Syrian government forces seize two villages [26] near the Lebanese border. [27] (AP/Reuters)
Hezbollah is developing new tactics [28] in the Syrian civil war. (AP)
American officials say they are looking into reports [29] of another Syrian government chemical weapons attack. [30] (AP/Washington Post)
Libya’s Interim PM al-Thani will step down [31] after he was attacked by militias. (AP)
Deputy Secretary of State William Burns will retire in October. [32] (AP)
A series of bombings [33] kills more than 20 across Iraq. (New York Times)
Iraqi secularists are reportedly under attack [34] ahead of the elections. (Al Monitor)
Iran lodges a complaint [35] against the US over the denial of visa [36] for its UN Ambassador. [37](Reuters/Xinhua/The National)
Iranians see “little relief” [38] as sanctions are eased. (New York Times)
Dubai seeks to become an “Islamic” economic hub. [39] (New York Times)
Commentary:
Hussein Ibish [40] says Professor Mohammed Dajani should be praised, not blamed, for teaching Palestinian students about the Holocaust. (The National)
The Jordan Times [41] says the PA was right to join international treaties. (Jordan Times)
Jackson Diehl [42]says over the past 25 years Israelis and Palestinians have made slow but enormous progress toward coexistence. (Washington Post)
Khaled Elgindy [43] says the latest round of peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians never had a chance to succeed. (Foreign Policy)
Nathan Jeffay [44] asks why the recent Israeli land grab in the occupied West Bank is different than any other. (Jewish Daily Forward)
Ben Caspit [45] says PM Netanyahu needs Pres. Obama more than ever if peace talks fail. (Al Monitor)
Ha’aretz [46] says Israel should stop “shutting its eyes’ to what is going in the occupied West Bank. (Ha’aretz)
Moshe Arens [47] says extremist settlers in the occupied West Bank are a fringe group that hates Arabs and has no respect for the State of Israel. (Ha’aretz)
Gideon Levy [48] says Ron Pundak wanted peace for peace’s sake, without pathos or guilt. (Ha’aretz)
Oudeh Basharat [49] says the struggle by Palestinian citizens of Israel against religious extremism is part of a wider Arab struggle. (Ha’aretz)
Amer Al Sabaileh [50] says recent developments in Syria shows only a political solution is possible. (Jordan Times)
Yezid Sayigh [51] says the Syrian conflict is drifting in favor of the government. (Carnegie)
Afraa Al-Hariri [52] and Om El-Ezz El-Farissi [53] debate whether women were at the forefront of the Arab Spring.(Asharq al-Awsat)
Rami Khouri [54] says Lebanon finds itself a mirror of the Middle East. (Daily Star)
Hamza Mustafa [55] says Iraqi militia are playing a key role in Syria. (Asharq al-Awsat)
Abdul Rahman Al Rashed [56] says Arabs must unite before seeking a permanent seat at the UN. (Al Arabiya)
H.A. Hellyer [57] says Egypt’s “war on terror” is doing more harm than good. (Al Arabiya)
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