Daily News Issue Date: 
February 19, 2014
News: 
News:
The US will ask Israel to freeze some of its settlement activities. (Xinhua/AFP/The Jerusalem Post)
Israeli negotiator Livni calls Sec. Kerry a “game changer” in the peace process. (The Jerusalem Post)
German-Israeli ties are at all-times low as Chancellor Merkel prepares to visit Israel. (Ha’aretz)
FM Judeh says Israel does not have the power to cancel Jordan’s role as custodian of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. (The Jordan Times)
A Tel Aviv district court rules that the Likud party can debate Kerry’s initiative at its conventions. (Ha’aretz)
Palestinians accuse Israel of committing “violations” against the Al-Aqsa mosque. (Xinhua)
Jewish “price tag” extremists vandalize 30 Palestinian cars in occupied East Jerusalem. (Xinhua/Ha’aretz)
Israeli Labour party leader Herzog says not all criticism of Israel is anti-semitic. (The Jerusalem Post)
FM Lieberman says American Jews are facing a demographic catastrophe. (Ha’aretz)
American lawmakers ask the House leadership to invite PM Netanyahu to give an address. (JTA)
A trip to the occupied West Bank for Israel’s pre-army cadets sparks protests among Israelis. (Ha’aretz)
The construction of the planned city of Rawabi is cited by some as an example of Palestinian-Israeli cooperation. (The Times of Israel/Ynet)
A new Gallup poll reveals that Americans have a more favorable view of the PA and Egypt compared to a year ago. (The Jerusalem Post)
Arab Idol winner Assaf is invited to sing at the opening ceremony of FIFA’s upcoming Congress. (Ma’an)
Robert Malley is appointed Senior Director at the National Security Council. (The Times of Israel/The New York Times/Ha’aretz) 
The Turkish government will offer residency to Palestinian refugees fleeing Syria. (Ma’an)
Syrian aid workers evacuate more people from Homs. (AP)
Syrian rebels seek to persuade Pres. Obama to provide them with advanced weapons. (The Washington Post)
A UN official confirms they are talking to the Al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusraregarding humanitarian aid in Syria. (Foreign Policy)
Russia says a UN resolution on humanitarian aid access in Syria is within reach. (Reuters)
An Al-Qaeda-linked group claims responsibility for a suicide bombing in Beirut that killed four people. (AP/Reuters/The New York Times)
Two Libyan militias demand that Libya’s interim parliament step down or face arrest. (AP)
Black Tunisians say racism is still an issue in their country. (The National)
Commentary:
Naser al-Tamimi says recognizing Israel as a Jewish state “will open a door” to new conflicts rather than solving existing ones. (Al Arabiya)
Mustafa Barghouti says Kerry’s initiative will not lead to a Palestinian state. (The Daily Star)
Peter Beinart says the Jewish critics of Israeli policy in the occupied West Bank are not naive. (Ha’aretz)
Eric Yoffie says Israel would be isolated and vulnerable without AIPAC’s support in Washington. (Ha’aretz)
Miriam Elder and Sheera Frankel ask whether Pres. Peres is the only man in Israel who still believes in peace. (Buzzfeed)
Thomas Friedman profiles a Palestinian citizen of Israel who is a scientist at Technion University. (The New York Times)
Ben Caspit says Israel is waiting for Egypt to take necessary action in Sinai. (Al-Monitor)
The New York Times says the US must avoid going to war in Syria while continuing searching for a political solution. (The New York Times)
Michael Rubin accuses the US of ignoring Syrian Kurds. (The Wall Street Journal)
 
The National condemns global indifference to the plight of Syrian refugee children. (The National)
Octavia Nasr says Lebanon’s new government can help avert a presidential election crisis and an ensuing vacuum. (Al Arabiya)
Khairallah Khairallah says the late PM Hariri was assassinated because he restored life to Lebanon. (Al Arabiya)
Delphine Minoui says the “personality cult” of Field Marshal Sisi has reached a level of collective madness in Egypt. (The New York Times)
Osama Al Sharif says Sisi is the only hope for Egypt now. (The Jordan Times)
Smadar Perry says Egypt is downplaying its ties with Israel. (Ynet)
The Jordan Times says the meeting between Obama and King Abdullah II was the longest summit between the two leaders. (The Jordan Times)
Omar Mahmood says the greatest threat to the GCC is Iran’s asymmetric capabilities. (Royal United Services Institute)
Jeffrey Goldberg interviews Gary Samore, former Obama Administration chief expert on WMDs, who says nuclear talks with Iran have "virtually no chance of success." (Bloomberg)
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