News:
Recent arrests [1] overshadow the Palestinians’ bid to oust Israel [2] from FIFA. (New York Times/.Times of Israel)
Palestinian human rights organizations address an open letter [3] to FIFA Pres. Blatter in support of the Palestinian Football Association's bid to have Israel suspended. (Ma’an)
Pro-Palestinian protesters [4] interrupt the 65th FIFA Congress [5], hours before [6] the body is set to vote on Israel's ejection from world soccer. (Ha’aretz/Times of Israel/Jerusalem Post)
PM Netanyahu says [7] the anti-Israel push at FIFA shows Palestinians oppose Israel’s right [8] to exist. (Times of Israel/Ynet)
Pres. Rivlin [9] says the BDS campaigns in universities [10] and the FIFA bid are strategic threats to Israel. (PNN/Times of Israel)
A proposal [11] is currently being made to add the Israeli military [12] to the blacklist of the UN council for Children and Armed Conflict [13] but UNSG Ban will likely oppose it. (PNN/Times of Israel/Ynet)
The Joint List proposes Knesset bills [14] to create a new Arab city in the North and an Arab university. (Jerusalem Post)
Egyptian authorities close the Rafah crossing [15] after it was open for three days. (Ma’an)
Israeli occupation forces detain five Palestinians [16] in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ma’an)
US defense aid to Israel [17] is likely to increase after 2017 due to Iran deal fears.(Reuters)
Syrian rebels capture [18] the last town in the Idlib province. (Reuters)
The UN’s humanitarian chief Amos [19] paints a harrowing portrait of savagery in Syria's civil war and urges the UNSC to take collective action. (Reuters)
ISIS militants have alternated between terrorizing residents and courting them [20] in their takeover of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra. (New York Times)
Pentagon leaders are trying to "fine tune" US strategy for ousting ISIS from Iraq [21], in light of the Ramadi debacle. (AP)
The IAEA says Iran has provided some information [22] about one of two open items in a UN nuclear watchdog investigation into whether it may have researched an atomic bomb [23]. (Reuters/AP)
Pres. Blatter says scandal-plagued FIFA may have avoided its current problems if Russia and Qatar had not been chosen as hosts [24] of the next two World Cups. (Reuters)
Commentary:
Iyad Abu Gharqoud [25] recounts his experiences as a Palestinian soccer player living in the occupied West Bank. (|New York Times)
Anshel Pfeffer [26] gives six reasons why it won’t be a bad thing if FIFA boots Israel. (Ha’aretz)
Raphael Ahren [27] says Netanyahu backs the “general idea” behind the Arab Peace Initiative. (Times of Israel)
Hana Salah [28] says Hamas is struggling with the emerging Islamist parties in Gaza. (Al-Monitor)
Carolina Landsmann [29] says Israel must not use Judaism to justify the occupation. (Ha’aretz)
Aaron David Miller [30] explains why Pres. Obama’s recent outreach to the American Jewish community isn’t going to amount to much of anything at all. (Foreign Policy)
Fareed Zakaria [31] says nobody is willing to fight for Iraq’s survival. (Washington Post)
The Washington Post [32] says the US can do more to help Iraq fight ISIS. (Washington Post)
Amir Taheri [33] says the Khomeinist regime can no longer play the role of both a responsible nation and an adventurous revolution. (Asharq al-Awsat)
Mohamed Chebarro [34] says Nasrallah’s latest attacks on friends and foes show a schism, not a fracture in his leadership in Hezbollah, (Al Arabiya)
George Hishmeh [35] looks at new “Obama image.” (Jordan Times)
The Daily Star [36] says Qatar must speak up on the recent FIFA scandals. (Daily Star)
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