News:
Palestinian official [1] Abu Ein dies [2] shortly after an altercation [3] with an Israeli border police [4] in theoccupied [5]West Bank [6]. (Reuters/AP/New York Times/Washington Post/Ma’an/JTA)
Pres. Abbas [7] declares three days of mourning [8] for the death of Abu Ein. (Ma’an/PNN)
The PA will halt security coordination [9] with Israel following the death of Abu Ein. (Times of Israel)
Chief Negotiator Erekat [10] says Palestine is seeking a UN resolution [11] to set a timetable for ending the occupation [12]. (AFP/PNN/Ynet)
PM Netanyahu [13] and Sec. Kerry [14] will meet. (Ha’aretz/Ynet)
Kerry says Obama administration remains committed to growing the Palestinian economy [15], even in the absence of a peace process. (JTA)
A school in Hebron [16] is forced to close because of tear gas fire from Israeli occupation forces. (Ma’an)
DM Ya’alon [17] says American criticism [18] of Israel's settlement policies [19] has slowed construction. (AP/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)
A poll suggests 80% of West Bank and Gaza residents [20] sympathize with lone-wolf attacks. (Times of Israel)
Kerry urges flexibility [21] for Pres. Obama’s war powers [22] against ISIS. (Reuters/AP)
Def. Sec. Hagel says American military power [23] is not the solution to Iraq’s problems. (AP)
The UN says more countries have pledged to resettle Syrian refugees [24]. (New York Times)
A UAE court [25] convicts 11 men allegedly affiliated with al Qaeda. (Reuters)
Qatar’s emir Al Thani [26] urges Gulf Arab solidarity amid regional turmoil. (Reuters)
The Senate’s Intelligence Committee [27] releases its report [28] on the use of torture [29] by the CIA. (New York Times/The National/AP)
Commentary:
Asmaa al-Ghoul [30] says Gaza’s society is reeling from the stresses of the last war. (Al-Monitor)
Yossi Mekelberg [31] says Israel is entering a lengthy, exhausting and damaging election campaign. (Al Arabiya)
Thomas Friedman [32] says the Senate committee’s torture report shows that fear after 9/11 was terribly corrosive. (New York Times)
David Ignatius [33] says the Senate’s CIA report is an honest and necessary public accounting. (Washington Post)
The Washington Post [34] says the Senate’s CIA report tells of “inhumanity.” (Washington Post)
Eric Fair [35] says he cannot be forgiven for what he did in Abu Ghraib. (New York Times)
The National [36] says CIA tactics show using torture helps extremist groups recruit militants. (The National)
David Rothkopf [37] says the release of the “damning and horrific” Senate torture report is a bright spot for American democracy. (Foreign Policy)
Michael Young [38] says, instead of worrying about the US in Syria, Russia should “tally its own influence” over its friends. (The National)
Ali Ibrahim [39] says the plan for Syria by UN Envoy de Mistura is highly realistic and pragmatic. (Asharq al-Awsat)
Khaled Diab [40]says without a leader, Egypt’s revolution was doomed to fail. (Ha’aretz)
Abdul Rahman Al Rashed [41] says the Lebanese must realize that their biggest problem is with Hezbollah. (Al Arabiya)