News:
AP [1] and the Washington Post [2] look at key campaign issues and main players in Israel’s [3] upcoming parliamentary election. (AP/Washington Post)
The United Arab List rises [4] as a major force in the upcoming Israeli election. (New York Times)
Business leaders see a “peace dividend” [5] if PM Netanyahu loses the upcoming Israeli election. (Reuters)
Netanyahu visits occupied East Jerusalem [6] in final day of campaign. (AP)
Tony Blair [7] is reportedly preparing to resign [8] as Middle East Peace Quartet Envoy. (Ha’aretz/JTA)
Hamas says it has rebuilt a number of military bases [9] near the Israeli border in Gaza. (Ma’an)
Israel eases entry criteria [10] for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank. (Times of Israel)
The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms says 2014 saw 465 violations of media freedoms [11] in the occupied territories. (Ma’an)
Israeli forces prepare to evict [12] a Palestinian family in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ma’an)
FM Lieberman visits the Ibrahimi mosque [13] in Hebron, prompting outrage. (Ma’an)
Israeli occupation forces detain 23 Palestinians [14] in the occupied West Bank. (Ma’an)
Former Amb. Oren [15] says Israel must repair ties with the US. (Ha’aretz)
Iraq says it has put its Tikrit offensive on hold [16] and senior officials call for more air strikes [17] to dislodge ISIS militants. (Reuters/New York Times)
Pres. Assad dismisses remarks [18] made by Sec. Kerry that he should be included in negotiations [19] to reach a political transition. (Reuters/AP)
US Gulf allies appear alarmed [20] by Kerry’s comment regarding Assad. (Reuters)
France stresses it will not negotiate with Assad [21]. (AFP)
Turkey slams Kerry [22] over his Assad remarks. (AFP)
The US will decide soon on restoring military aid [23] to Egypt. (New York Times)
The split within Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood [24] is a blow [25] to the broader regional group [26]. (AP/Times of Israel/The National)
The EU says the P5+1 talks [27] with Iran are entering a critical stage. (Reuters)
Prince Turki al-Faisal [28] says an Iran deal could risk [29] nuclear proliferation. (Reuters/Ynet)
An Iranian court sentences the son of former Pres. Rafsanjani [30] to 15 years in prison. (New York Times)
Commentary:
Hussein Ibish [31] says that Israel’s election results are unlikely to alter the status quo. (The National)
Ron Kampeas [32] looks at why Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations were like “bitter divorce proceedings.” (JTA)
Asmaa al-Ghoul [33] says Palestinian women are discussing the possibility of increasing the female quota system with PLO factions. (Al-Monitor)
Anshel Pfeffer [34] looks at seven post-election scenarios for Israel. (Ha’aretz)
Shmuel Rosner [35] says Israelis need to “grow up” and vote for one of two main camps. (New York Times)
Carlo Strenger [36] says Netanyahu seems to have lost touch with the ground rules of democracy and has become a danger to the state. (Ha’aretz)
Ha’aretz [37] says Lieberman has abandoned all restraint and morality. (Ha’aretz)
J.J. Goldberg [38] looks at how the Zionist Union could build a ruling coalition. (The Forward)
Anshel Pfeffer [39] asks if opposition leader Herzog is “the ultimate anti-Netanyahu.” (Ha’aretz)
Raphael Ahren [40] says a new Israeli government will almost certainly bring a more diplomatic foreign minister, but there will be not much change on the Palestinian or Iranian fronts. (Times of Israel)
Haviv Rettig-Gur [41] looks at the “enigmatic and unpredictable” Israeli voter. (Times of Israel)
Paul Krugman [42] looks at Israel’s extreme social inequality. (New York Times)
Faisal Al Yafai [43] says the flip flopping in Washington over Kerry's remarks on Assad reflect a broader flip flopping in US policy towards Syria. (The National)
The Daily Star [44] says the American “appeasement” of Iran in Syria adds up to collusion with Assad. (Daily Star)
Rami Khouri [45] says Syria’s woes reflect wider Arab troubles. (Daily Star)
Abdul Rahman Al Rashed [46] says the Egyptian people have been confronted with two choices: to build the future or destroy the present. (Al Arabiya)
Salman Aldossary [47] says Egypt is now back on track and moving forward with unstoppable momentum. (Asharq al-Awsat)
FM Philip Hammond [48] explains how Britain is contributing to build Egypt’s economy. (Asharq al-Awsat)
The Jordan Times [49] says a strong Egypt is good for the region. (Jordan Times)
The National [50] says a new Cairo must lead to a new Egypt. (The National)
Scott Atran and Douglas Stone [51] say Kurds deserve more international support for their “heroic” stand against ISIS. (New York Times)
Jackson Diehl [52] says the P5+1 negotiations are about more than Iran’s nuclear capabilities. (Washington Post)
Colum Lynch and Jamila Trindle [53] say a historic nuclear deal with Iran is in sight, but unraveling the web of financial embargoes, asset freezes, and restricted oil sales will not be easy. (Foreign Policy)
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