Daily News Issue Date: 
February 20, 2014
News: 
News:
Sec. Kerry holds a second round of talks with Pres. Abbas in Paris after discussing the framework agreement yesterday. (AFP/The Times of Israel)
Kerry meets FM Judeh to push for a framework agreement. (The Jordan Times)
Kerry is disappointed with Palestinian verbal attacks against Israel. (The Jerusalem Post/Ynet)
A PLO official says Kerry’s framework draft is too vague. (The Times of Israel)
The PLO proposes an understanding on a joint ruling of Jerusalem. (Xinhua)
Israel debates a legislation offering compensation for West Bank settlers to move inside the internationally recognized borders of Israel.(Ha’aretz)
Pres. Peres will award Chancellor Merkel Israel’s highest civilian honor. (Ha’aretz)
Extremist settlers uproot 700 olive tree saplings in the occupied West Bank. (Ma’an)
Palestinian public sector employees in the West Bank will strike against the government. (Ma’an)
Jewish-Arab couple protests against the demolition of their house in the occupied East Jerusalem. (Ha’aretz)
Israel’s Tamar gas field will sell gas to Jordan. (Xinhua)
A Jordanian-Israeli citizen named after Yitzhak Rabin will join the IDF.(Ha’aretz)
A Jewish museum in New York comes under fire for featuring BDS-backing professorJudith Butler at an event. (Ha’aretz)
Two Israeli arms dealers are arrested for allegedly selling parts of military aircrafts to Iran. (The Times of Israel)
UNRWA resumes food distribution in Yarmouk after an 11-day halt. (AP)
The UN resolution on Syria aid will face a vote on Friday. (AP/The New York Times/Reuters)
Some Syrian rebel commanders reject the dismissal of Gen. Idris. (AP)
Syrian activists accuse the Assad regime of using chemical weapons again. (The Daily Beast)
Islamist rebels in eastern Syria order women to put the face veil. (Reuters)
The Egyptian army bombs suspected militants in Sinai. (AP)
Egypt adjourns the Al Jazeera journalists trial to March 5th. (AFP)
FM Lavrov arrives in Baghdad to hold talks with Iraqi leaders. (Xinhua)
A Bahrain court sentences a Shiite protester to death. (The National)
Pres. Obama and PM Erdogan discuss Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and the conflicts in Syria and Iraq. (AP)
Iran and the six world powers agree on a framework for nuclear talks. (AP/Reuters/The New York Times)
An American official says the US will remain “very mindful” of Gulf states’ concerns over Iran in the nuclear talks. (Xinhua)
Commentary:
Rami Khouri asks if Israelis and Palestinians are ready for Kerry’s framework. (The Daily Star)
David Benkof says Jews should look to their own history to find compassion for the Palestinian  “right of return.” (The Times of Israel)
Ari Shavit argues that the late Palestinian leader Arafat publicly recognized Israel as a "Jewish state" six months before his death. (Ha'aretz) 
Yossi Mekelberg says the continuing Israeli occupation can lead to an international isolation and confrontation with the EU and the US. (Al Arabiya)
Roy Isacowitz says PM Netanyahu's rhetoric makes him feel like an “anti-Semite.” (Haaretz)
Akiva Eldar says the Israeli anti-boycott policies are counterproductive. (Al-Monitor)
Daniel Friedmann says the boycott disputes are purely political. (YNet)
Myriam Schermer claim the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is largely religious based. (The Times of Israel)
Gideon Levy accuses Israeli media of bias against the Palestinian citizens of Israel. (Ha'aretz)
David Ignatius says a revived US-Saudi alliance on Syria will stop aid from leaching away to Al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front and ISIS. (The Washington Post)
 
Michael Young says Russia's increased activity in Syria is due to America's inaction. (The National)
The Los Angeles Times says diplomacy remains the best option for Obama’s Syria policy.  (The Los Angeles Times)
Fehim Taştekin says Syria war sparks Turkish Alawite anxiety. (Al-Monitor)
Enas Hamed accuses the Egyptian security forces of abusing female detainees. (Al-Monitor) 
Michael Jansen says the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt can be held responsible for the escalation of jihadist attacks. (The Jordan Times)
Rob Ben-Yeshi is not optimistic about the outcome of the Iranian nuclear talks. (YNet)
Aaron Miller says the costs of failure of the US-Iran talks will be significant. (Foreign Policy)

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