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News:

Pres. Abbas accuses Israel of "gangsterism" over its decision to withhold Palestinian tax revenues. (Ynet)

As Israel goes to the polls, Palestinians expect little change. (The National)

Gaza’s sole power plant was shut down on Wednesday evening as Qatari-donated fuel supplies ran out. (Ma’an)

Extremist Jewish settlers torch two Palestinian cars and vandalize a building near Ramallah. (Ma’an/PNN/JTA/Times of Israel)

Unidentified assailants throw flammable material at the door of a Fatah leader's house in eastern Gaza. (Ma’an)

Israeli forces shoot and injure two Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Gaza. (Ma’an)

Three thousand women protest outside the Knesset calling for an Israeli-Palestinian peaceagreement. (JTA/Times of Israel/Jerusalem Post)

The number of Palestinians working for Israelis on either side of the Green Line has doubled in the last 4 years. (Jerusalem Post)

Experts say PM Netanyahu may gain only a fleeting lift from his Congressional speech. (New York Times) 

FM Zarif says Iran “saved the Jews” three times and Netanyahu should “learn his history.” (Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

American officials are reportedly hinting that replacing Amb. Dermer is key to mending US-Israel ties. (Ha’aretz)

A Chinese official at the P5+1 talks sees hope for a deal. (Reuters)

Sec. Kerry meets with King Salman and Gulf Arab FMs in Riyadh to reassure them on Iranian nuclear talks. (Reuters/AP/Washington Post/New York Times)

Egypt may import natural gas from Israel. (JTA/TheMarker)

Pres. Sisi reshuffles his cabinet and replaces the minister of interior. (AP)

Syrian government barrel bombs kill at least 18 in Aleppo. (AP)

The collapse of the Hazzm movement in Syria underlines the failure of efforts to unify Arab and Western support for mainstream insurgents. (Reuters)

Syria's Western-backed political opposition is trying to ally with opposition groups based in Syria to boost its legitimacy. (Reuters)

The US strategy in Iraq is increasingly relying on Iran. (New York Times)

Iraqis plan to take a leading role in driving ISIS out of Mosul. (New York Times)

Warplanes from Libya's internationally recognized government carry out air strikes on an airport in Tripoli. (Reuters)

Libya says 11 oil fields in the country are non-operational after attacks by suspected ISIS militants. (AP)

Commentary:

Rami Al-Magheiri looks at Hamas’ reaction to the Egyptian court ruling against it. (The Media Line)

Ha’aretz says right-wingers’ assault on Knesset members at a panel discussion this week was an act worthy of fascists. (Ha’aretz)

Shlomo Sand says a Jewish vote for the Arab list could be a decisive event in Israel’s short history. (Ha’aretz)

Ben Sales profiles Israeli opposition leader Herzog. (JTA)

AP interviews former Finance Minister Lapid. (AP)

Melanie Lidman looks at the group “Runners Without Borders” that brings Arab, Jewish, and Armenian girls together. (Times of Israel)

Nahum Barnea says Netanyahu’s top priority is elections, not Iran. (Ynet)

Akiva Eldar says focused on Iran, Netanyahu’s is ignoring Israel’s economic crisis. (Al-Monitor)

Alan Philps says the “grenade thrown” by Netanyahu in the US Capitol will leave lasting scars. (The National)

Aaron David Miller says its too early to say whether Netanyahu’s speech bought him votes in the Israeli election or time on the Iran deal. (Foreign Policy)

Peter Beinart says Jewish history offers no parallels for the situation Israel finds itself in today, but American history does. (Ha’aretz)

Ari Shavit says Netanyahu’s speech did not generate interest in the US because he framed the Iranian nuclear threat in Jewish and Israeli terms. (Ha’aretz)

E.J. Dionne says Netanyahu’s speech threatens US support for Israel. (Washington Post)

Michael Young says on Iran, Arabs deeply mistrust Pres. Obama. (Daily Star)

Joyce Karam says Netanyahu bruised Obama in Congress without killing the Iran deal. (Al Arabiya)

Samir Atallah says King Salman has a sound vision for Saudi Arabia. (Asharq al-Awsat)

News:

PM Netanyahu says a potential nuclear agreement would "pave Iran's path to the bomb." (AP/New York Times/JTA/The National)

Pres. Obama says Netanyahu is offering no viable alternative to negotiations with Iran. (AP/New York Times/Ha’aretz)

Netanyahu says his speech to Congress offered a "practical alternative" to a possible Iranian nuclear deal. (AP/JTA/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

House Democratic leader Pelosi says she did not appreciate Netanyahu’s condescension and felt insulted. (AP)

Iran says Netanyahu’s speech was “boring and repetitive.” (Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

The Washington Post looks at how Israel reacted to Netanyahu’s speech. (Washington Post)

Israeli opposition leader Herzog says Netanyahu’s speech will have no effect on negotiations with Iran. (JTA/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

A day after Netanyahu’s warning, Iran and the P5+1 make “some progress.” (Reuters)

The US says Iran is far from achieving a working nuclear bomb, but others differ. (AP)

Sec. Kerry heads to Saudi Arabia to consult on negotiations with Iran. (AP)

Pres. Abbas says Israel has stripped his government of all authority to the point where it has "no real power over anything." (AP/Times of Israel)

Palestinian leaders begin a two-day meeting at which they could decide to suspend security coordination with Israel. (Reuters/Ynet/Jerusalem Post)

The UN Human Rights Council says Israel should investigate the killing of more than 1,500 Palestinian civilians during last summer’s war. (Ma’an/PNN/Reuters)

For the third month in the row the PA will pay its civil servants only 60 percent of their monthly wages, as a result of Israel withholding tax revenues. (Ma’an)

Israeli officials prevent 10 PLO officials from entering the occupied West Bank from Gaza. (Ma’an)

Israel says it will double the amount of water it channels annually to Palestinians in Gaza. (AFP)

Israeli authorities demolish four houses in the Bedouin village of Sawah in the Negev. (Ma’an)

British advertising watchdog bans an Israeli government tourism ad for representing the Old City of Jerusalem as being in Israel. (JTA/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

The Media Line looks at the foreign policy positions of Israel’s political parties. (The Media Line)

Gen. Dempsey says Iran's direct intervention in Iraq could be "a positive thing." (AP)

former British Royal Marine is reportedly killed fighting ISIS in Syria. (Reuters/AP) 

King Abdullah says there will be no compromise or leniency when it comes to security and stability of Jordan. (Jordan Times)

Egypt’s cabinet approves a long-awaited draft law on investment. (Reuters)

Commentary:

David Ignatius looks at Netanyahu’s “zero-sum game” on Iran. (Washington Post)

Gholamali Khoshroo says the world should see through Netanyahu’s alarmist rhetoric about Iran. (New York Times)

Thomas Friedman says Netanyahu’s speech “rubbed him” the wrong way. (New York Times)

The New York Times says Netanyahu offered no new reasons to reject the agreement being negotiated by the US to constrain Iran’s nuclear program. (New York Times)

The Washington Post says Obama needs to provide real answers to Netanyahu’s arguments. (Washington Post)

The Forward says Netanyahu’s speech raises the stakes for the Obama administration. (The Forward)

The National says Netanyahu’s speech demonised Iran, but the real threat is Israel's own “apartheid strategy.” (The National)

The Daily Star says Netanyahu’s speech contained all of the predictable generalizations and sweeping statements that could have been expected. (Daily Star)

Natan Sachs says patience is Israel's best strategy against Iran. (Ha’aretz)

Lara Friedman debunks “11 lies” Netanyahu told Congress on Iran. (The Forward)

Paul Waldman says Netanyahu’s speech did not do his American allies any favors. (Washington Post)

Ha’aretz says Netanyahu’s forgot to mention the “real existential threat” to Israel. (Ha’aretz)

Raphael Ahren says amid the criticism, Netanyahu also signaled some readiness for compromise in his Congressional speech. (Times of Israel)

Yochi Dreazen says Netanyahu’s speech quietly signaled that he’d be willing to accept an Iranian deal. (Foreign Policy)

Zvi Bar’el says Netanyahu presents Congress a “warped view” of the Middle East. (Ha’aretz)

Yossi Mekelberg says Netanyahu’s speech offered no solutions, and leaves Israel internationally isolated. (Al Arabiya)

David Horovitz says Netanyahu’s speech was a “devastating and irrevocable indictment” of Obama. (Times of Israel)

Avner Cohen says an Iranian nuclear deal looks like a reasonable compromise. (Ha’aretz)

Haviv Rettig Gur looks at why Obama and Netanyahu hate each other. (Times of Israel)

Aaron Mann says the only thing Netanyahu has managed to secure as prime minister is his own political survival. (Huffington Post)

Elhanan Miller interviews the leader of the joint Arab list Ayman Odeh. (Times of Israel)

Elie Leshem profiles Palestinian activist Ali Abu Awwad who uses nonviolence to challenge the prejudices of his Arab and Jewish neighbors. (Times of Israel)

Shlomi Eldar asks if a US-Israel rift would benefit the Palestinians. (Al-Monitor)

Michael Young says urgent action is required to help Arab Christians. (The National)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed looks at Gulf-Egyptian military and economic cooperation. (Al Arabiya)

The Jordan Times says the battle for Mosul is symbolically a battle for all of Iraq. (Jordan Times)

News:

The PLO will reportedly lodge its first complaint against Israel for alleged war crimes at the ICC onApril 1. (AFP/JTA)

The EU is seeking to bolster the Quartet by closely involving Arab states. (Reuters)

Palestinians urging a boycott of Israeli products have begun confiscating goods in the West Bank. (AP)

Israeli occupation forces shoot and injure a young Palestinian man during clashes in the West Bank. (Ma’an)

A video shows Israeli soldiers urging dogs to attack a Palestinian child, who they claimed threw rocks at them. (Ma’an/Ha’aretz)

An Israeli student throws bottle at MK Zoabi. (Ma’an/PNN/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

PM Netanyahu will address Congress today. (Reuters/New York Times/AP/Washington Post/Times of Israel)

49 Democrat members of Congress will not attend Netanyahu’s speech today. (New York Times/JTA/Ha’aretz)

Many in Iran have been awaiting the address by Netanyahu because they hope his blunt approach will turn American public opinion against him. (New York Times)

poll indicates Netanyahu is as popular as ever in the US. (Ha’aretz)

Deputy Sec. Blinken warns tensions with Israel could last until the end of the Obama administration in 2016. (Ynet)

Iraqi forces try to seal off ISIS around Tikrit. (Reuters/The National)

An American intelligence official says Iran is involved in the fight against ISIS in Iraq. (AP)

A new study says Syria’s civil war can be linked, in part, to a record drought worsened by global warming. (AP/New York Times)

Pres. Obama says Iran must commit to a verifiable freeze of at least 10 years on sensitive nuclear activity for a deal to be reached. (Reuters)

Iran calls Obama’s 10-year nuclear demand “unacceptable.” (Reuters/Times of Israel)

NSA Rice says a bad nuclear deal with Iran is worse than no deal at all. (AP/JTA/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Commentary:

The Jordan Times says a lasting solution to radicalism and extremism in the region must begin with ending the Israeli occupation. (Jordan Times)

Adnan Abu Amer looks at women’s role in Hamas. (Al-Monitor)

Shibley Telhami says the consequences of Netanyahu’s speech for Israel in American politics may be long lasting. (Foreign Policy)

Faisal Abbas says Netanyahu gets it right when it comes to dealing with Iran. (Al Arabiya)

Anshel Pfeffer says Netanyahu is in Washington to ensure he sees the White House from the inside next time he's in town. (Ha’aretz)

Amos Harel looks at what’s missing from Netanyahu’s arguments in Washington. (Ha’aretz)

Hassan Barari looks at Netanyahu’s “showdown” with Obama. (Jordan Times)

Nahum Barnea says Netanyahu’s speech will be judged by its effect on an Iranian deal. (Ynet)

Richard Cohen says Israel’s “moral argument” is on the line. (Washington Post)

Gregg Carlstrom says Netanyahu’s Washington speech is being criticized by Israeli spies, generals, and pundits. (Foreign Policy)

Bradley Burston says Netanyahu’s Congress speech is not really about Iran. (Ha’aretz)

David Hazony says Netanyahu should speak to Congress. (The Forward)

Akiva Eldar asks if Obama has a “secret weapon” against Netanyahu. (Al-Monitor)

The New York Times says ISIS’s needs are so great that shutting down its financing is a major opportunity for the West. (New York Times)

Maajid Nawaz says Britain’s universities have been infiltrated by Islamist extremists for years. (New York Times)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed looks at how ISIS’ exploits girls and women. (Al Arabiya)

News:

Gaza residents fear more isolation after an Egyptian court declares Hamas a terrorist organization. (AP)

Hamas supporters rally in Gaza against the Egyptian court ruling. (Ma’an)

Hamas is reportedly trying to mend its relationship with Iran. (Times of Israel)

Gaza’s only power plant is due to shut down by the end of this week as donor funding for fuel has run out. (Ma’an)

Israel says it has busted an Israeli-Palestinian smuggling ring that funneled iron, electronic equipment and other prohibited materials to Gaza. (AP/JTA/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

A Palestinian court postpones its verdict in the graft trial of exiled former Fatah official Dahlan. (AFP) 

King Abdullah of Jordan says the absence of Middle East peace will complicate the anti-terror fight.  (Jordan Times)

Israeli occupation forces detain eight Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ma’an)

The IDF calls up 13000 reservists and holds a surprise training exercises in the occupied West Bank. (JTA)

The US and Israel show signs of seeking to defuse tensions ahead of a speech in Washington by PM Netanyahu. (Reuters/Washington Post) 

Netanyahu and top US officials are set to face off in dueling speeches on the high-stakes Iran nuclear negotiations. (AP/New York Times)

Sec. Kerry accuses the UN Human Rights Council of being obsessed by allegations of Israeli abuses. (Reuters/Washington Post/Times of Israel/Jerusalem Post)

The Iraqi army and Shiite militias launch an offensive to retake Tikrit from ISIS. (Reuters/AP/Washington Post/New York Times/The National)

Former Sec. Powell says the failure of Iraqi government allowed ISIS to flourish. (The National)

AP looks at how “Islamic is ISIS.” (AP)

Pres. Sisi meets with King Salman in Riyadh to discuss Middle East crises. (Reuters/The National)

PM Ensour announces a cabinet reshuffle. (Reuters/Jordan Times)

Audio recordings of senior Egyptian officials suggest that when Morsi was president, the UAE gave the Egyptian Defense Ministry money for a protest campaign against him. (New York Times)

The Washington Post looks at the conditions inside a Saudi prison. (Washington Post)

FM Zarif says a nuclear deal hinges on the US will to lift sanctions. (Reuters)

Kerry warns that a public discussion of details of the ongoing P5+1 negotiations with Iran will make itmore difficult to reach a deal. (AP/New York Times/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Commentary:

Ahmad Melhem says recent clashes in the West Bank between security forces and protesters have triggered Palestinian fears that stability will be difficult to restore. (Al-Monitor)

Moshe Arens says the reason prospects of an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement are hardly discussed ahead of the election is that the vast majority of Israelis don’t believe in them. (Ha’aretz)

Avi Issacharoff says Netanyahu’s electoral trip to Washington will ignore the occupied West Bank to Israel’s peril. (Times of Israel)

Nahum Barnea asks if Netanyahu’s speech is “historic or hysteric.” (Ynet)

David Rothkopf says Pres. Obama needs to refocus the discussion on the larger Mideast strategy. (Foreign Policy)

Yochi Dreazen and Colum Lynch profile Amb. Dermer. (Foreign Policy)

Rami Khouri says Netanyahu is threatening the US-Israel relationship. (Daily Star)

Don Futterman asks AIPAC delegates to stand with Israel and not with Netanyahu. (Ha’aretz)

Jackson Diehl says in appealing to Congress, Netanyahu may win votes but hurt ties. (Washington Post)

Ray Takeyh looks at Ayatollah Khamenei’s “strategic genius.” (Washington Post)

The Daily Star looks at the repercussions of an Iranian nuclear deal. (Daily Star)

Hussein Ibish says organisations that counter extremism struggle to find funding. (The National)

Robert Grenier says we should remember that the threat posed to the US by radical Islam, while real, is not an existential one. (New York Times)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed says Iran is at Saudi Arabia’s frontiers. (Al Arabiya)

Hisham Melhem says an Arab world without its Christian communities will be more insular, more rigid, less hospitable and more desolate. (Al Arabiya)

Gerard Russell says it would be tragic if the Assyrians leave the region. (The National)

News:

Oxfam says the rebuilding of Gaza could take more than a century if Israel maintains its blockade. (Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post)

Israel will use frozen Palestinian tax revenues to offset the PA’s electricity debt. (Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

PM Netanyahu intervenes to approve water links to the Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank, Rawabi. (Washington Post)

Israel says more commercial goods are being allowed into Gaza. (Ma’an)

Farmers in Gaza continue to suffer the consequences of massive losses incurred during last summer’s war. (Ma’an)

Italy’s parliament will vote today on recognition of the State of Palestine. (PNN/Reuters)

billboard campaign is launched in Ireland to urge the government to recognize the State of Palestine. (Ma’an)

Jordan condemns the arson attack against a Greek Orthodox seminary in occupied East Jerusalem. (Jordan Times)

The Israeli army is setting up a unit to probe alleged criminal acts during wartime. (Ha’aretz)

With borders closed, Palestinians in Gaza are unable to make the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. (AP)

Hundreds of Jewish Israelis with armed guards visit the Tomb of Joshua in the occupied West Bank. (Ma’an)

Nadia Hilou, the first female Palestinian Christian MK elected to the Knesset dies. (Ynet)

British artist Banksy goes to Gaza and films the devastation there in the wake of last summer's war. (Reuters/The National)

AIPAC is reportedly opposed to Netanyahu’s upcoming speech to Congress. (Times of Israel/Al-Monitor)

The White House will send NSA Rice and Amb. Power to the upcoming AIPAC conference. (AP/New York Times/JTA/Times of Israel)

Netanyahu will meet with both Democratic and Republican Senate leaders in Washington. (Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

former Mossad chief Dagan criticizes Netanyahu’s handling of the Iranian nuclear threat. (AP/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

PM Cameron vows to use all means at his disposal to hunt down British militants such as "Jihadi John." (Reuters)

A financial report says in order for ISIS to remain financially viable it will have to further expand the territory it controls in Iraq and Syria. (Reuters)

ISIS extremists in northern Iraq destroy a priceless collection of statues and sculptures from the ancient Assyrian era. (Reuters/New York Times)

UNESCO Chief Bokova denounces ISIS's destruction of ancient statues and artifacts as "cultural cleansing" and a war crime that the world must punish. (AP)

A UN official seeks havens for Syrian refugees in Europe. (New York Times)

King Abdullah holds talks in Cairo with Pres. Sisi. (Jordan Times)

The leader of the Houthi rebel group in Yemen accuses Saudi Arabia of fueling unrest to divide the country. (New York Times)

Sec. Kerry will will travel to Switzerland next week to resume nuclear talks with Iran's FM Zarif. (AP) 

Commentary:

The Daily Star says the international community must condemn the “hate crime” in Jerusalem. (Daily Star)

Rasha Abu Jalal looks at the plight of Palestinian children in Israeli prisons. (Al-Monitor)

Shlomi Eldar interviews Palestinian journalist Majdi Arbid. (Al-Monitor)

Isaac Herzog says that although Israelis put security first and need all Americans as their ally, Netanyahu is hurting that goal. (New York Times)

Betty McCollum explains why she will not be attending Netanyahu’s speech in Congress. (Washington Post)

Ron Kampeas says Netanyahu’s speech is straining bipartisanship ahead of the AIPAC conference. (JTA)

Aaron David Miller asks if Pres. Obama’s relationship with Netanyahu is broken. (Foreign Policy)

George Hishmeh says Netanyahu’s presence in Washington next week could turn the political situation between the US and Israel upside down. (Jordan Times)

Ha’aretz says Netanyahu is insisting on damaging Israel's ties with the US. (Ha’aretz)

Carolina Landsmann says Israel’s democrats must vote for opposition leader Herzog. (Ha’aretz)

Majid Rafizadeh says striking an accord in the first phase of the P5+1 nuclear talks is very likely. (Al Arabiya)

David Brooks says the P5+1 negotiations with Iran are based on misguided premises and could have disastrous outcomes.(New York Times)

David Ignatius says America is the ally Egypt needs. (Washington Post)

Amir Taheri says Pres. Erdogan acknowledges the evils of the Assad regime but ignores the equally evil ISIS. (Asharq al-Awsat)

Mshari al-Zaydi says fighting ISIS is the duty of all Arabs. (Asharq al-Awsat)

Fareed Zakaria says Muslims must lead the battle against extremism. (Washington Post)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed asks if Yemen’s former Pres. Saleh really has $60 billion. (Al Arabiya)


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