Daily News Issue Date: 
January 29, 2014
News: 

News:

PM Netanyahu says Israel is not obliged to agree to all of the terms of Sec. Kerry’s framework. (PNN/Ynet)

Israeli newspapers speculate on the soon-to-be-unveiled “Kerry plan.” (Ha’aretz/The Jerusalem Post)

A Palestinian official says Israelis are welcome to apply for immigration to the future Palestinian state. (The Media Line)

Fatah says Hamas has not yet replied to its reconciliation proposal. (Ma’an)

Israeli occupation forces kill a Palestinian man in the West Bank. (AP/Reuters)

Israeli occupation forces detain eight Palestinians in overnight raids across the West Bank. (Ma’an)

Israeli Economy Minister Bennett might lose his job over personal attacks against Netanyahu. (Xinhua/Ha’aretz)

Netanyahu postpones a ministerial meeting on the growing threat of boycotts and sanctions against Israel. (Ha’aretz)

Netanyahu expresses concern over alleged continuing anti-Israel incitement in the Palestinian press. (Ha’aretz)

FM Zarif accuses Israel of using the nuclear issue to distract from its “crimes” against the Palestinians. (Times of Israel/Ynet)

Negotiators resume Syrian peace talks amid declining expectations. (AP/The New York Times)

Pres. Obama promises more support for the Syrian opposition. (AP)

The Al-Qaeda inspired ISIS group in Syria is selling oil to the Assad regime. (The New York Times)

15 are killed in Iraq as clashes continue in Anbar province. (Xinhua)

Obama threatens to veto new economic sanctions against Iran in his State of the Union address. (AP/JTA)

PM Erdogan visits Iran in an effort to mend ties. (Reuters/AP)

Tunisia’s parliament approves a caretaker government. (The National)

Libya’s interior minister Karim escapes an assassination attempt in Tripoli. (AFP)

Egypt refers 20 journalists from the Al Jazeera network to trial. (AP)

Commentary:

ATFP Pres. Ziad Asali says Israel’s future requires a peace agreement and a state of Palestine. (Huffington Post)

Thomas Friedman says Kerry would have to declare the end of the negotiated two-state solution if his plan fails. (The New York Times)

Herb Keinon says agreeing to the framework deal with the Palestinians will not bring down Netanyahu’s coalition. (The Jerusalem Post)

Debra DeLee says her love for Israel inspires her opposition to generalize boycotts against the country but staunch opposition to settlements and their products. (Forward)

Kara Bue says Kerry’s focus on Mideast peace is coming at the expense of other US strategic interests. (The Christian Science Monitor)

Peter Beinart says the Obama administration should stay away from this year’s AIPAC Conference. (Ha’aretz)

Yaron Friedman says cutting Arabic studies in Israel will harm both Israeli intelligence services and the chances of dialogue with Arabs. (Ynet)

Rime Allaf says drawn out talks in Geneva will only benefit the Assad regime. (Gulf News)

The Jordan Times says the Geneva II talks are destined for failure and the fighting in Syria will continue without direct intervention. (Jordan Times)

Hassan Hassan condemns controversial fatwas by noted cleric Qaradawi that encourage violence. (The National)

Alasdair Soussi says car bombs continue to be influential instruments of terror in the Middle East. (The National)

Horacio Falcao says American-Iranian negotiations will be a long process but has begun well. (Gulf News)

Michael Young says by implementing Iran’s strategy in Lebanon, Hezbollah is provoking a civil war. (The National)

Diana Moukalled says the Hariri Special Tribunal is improving the judicial standards in the region. (Asharq Alawsat)

The National says political developments in Tunisia and elsewhere show strong ongoing support  for secular ideals in the Arab world. (The National)

Max Strasser asks whether Gen. Sissi is “turning back the clock to the Nasser era in Egypt.” (Foreign Policy)


American Task Force on Palestine - 1634 Eye St. NW, Suite 725, Washington DC 20006 - Telephone: 202-262-0017