News:
Israel’s four Arab [1]parties have decided to run [2] together in the upcoming elections [3]. (Reuters/Ha’aretz/Ynet)
Pres. Obama [4] and Sec. Kerry [5] will not meet with PM Netanyahu [6] during his trip to Washington [7] in March. (AFP/JTA/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)
Israel approves the construction of 2500 new settlement units [8] in the occupied West Bank. (PNN)
200 Palestinians from Gaza [9] attend Friday’s prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. (Ma’an)
Egyptian naval forces [10] shoot and injure a Palestinian fisherman. (Ma’an)
A Druze student is attacked [11] by gang of Jewish extremists in Jerusalem after he was overheard speaking Arabic. (Ynet)
DM Ya’alon warns [12] that Israel will make [13] Lebanon and Syria “pay” for any Hezbollah action [14] against Israel. (JTA/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)
King [15] Abdullah [16] of Saudi Arabia [17] dies [18] and his brother [19] Salman [20] becomes king [21]. (Reuters/AP/New York Times/Washington Post/Foreign Policy/The National/Al Arabiya)
World leaders [22] react [23] to the death [24] of King Abdullah [25]. (AP/JTA/Times of Israel/Jordan Times)
Pres. Abbas declares [26] three days of mourning for King Abdullah. (Ma’an)
King Salman [27] of Saudi Arabia [28] pledges [29] to maintain existing [30] foreign and energy [31] policies. (Reuters/New York Times/AP/Washington Post/The National)
Extremists affiliated with ISIS have posted an online warning [32] about the impending murder of two Japanese hostages. (AP)
Yemen suffers [33] a power vacuum [34] after Pres. Hadi resigns [35] in exasperation following the Houthi coup. (Reuters/New York Times/Washington Post)
Commentary:
Nahum Barnea [36] says Netanyahu has made a dangerous deal with the Republicans. (Ynet)
Ron Kampeas [37] looks at what Israel may face at the ICC. (JTA)
Shlomi Eldar [38] asks if a united Israeli Arab party can survive the upcoming elections. (Al-Monitor)
The Times of Israel interviews French Amb. to Israel Maisonnave [39]. (Times of Israel)
Theodore Karasik [40] looks at King Abdullah’s legacy for the GCC. (Al Arabiya)
Abdullah Hamidaddin [41] says King Abdullah was the “king of hearts.” (Al Arabiya)
Elizabeth Dickinson [42] looks at the legacy of King Abdullah. (The National)
The Daily Star [43] says King Abdullah will be remembered as a friend of Lebanon and a champion of moderation in a turbulent region. (Daily Star)
Amir Taheri [44] looks at the four key players in the Syrian conflict. (Asharq al-Awsat)
Fareed Zakaria [45] provides a four-part strategy for the West to combat Muslim extremists. (Washington Post)
Charles Krauthammer [46] looks at Iran’s quest to dominate the Arab world. (Washington Post)
The Washington Post [47] says Obama’s Yemen strategy is crumbling. (Washington Post)