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News:

Palestinians refrain from immediately asking the ICC to look into cases that may implicate Israeli officials. (New York Times)

Israel denounces the Palestinian decision to join the ICC as “hypocritical.” (Ma’an/Ynet)

79 Congressional Democrats tells Pres. Obama that he should “persevere” in his efforts for a two-state solution. (JTA)

A Palestinian man stabs an Israeli soldier in the occupied West Bank. (AP/Ma’an/PNN/JTA/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Israel arrests a Palestinian lawmaker Khalida Jarrar over “incitement and terror involvement.” (AP/Ma’an/Times of Israel)

Israeli forces uproot 120 olive trees belonging to Palestinian farmers in the occupied West Bank. (Ma’an)

The New York Times looks at Speaker Boehner’s visit to Israel. (New York Times)

ISIS militants retreat from the besieged Yarmouk refugee camp. (AP)

Turkish security forces arrest nine British nationals who were trying to cross illegally into Syria. (Reuters)

The Al-Nusra Front captures the main border crossing with Jordan. (AP) 

The Iraqi government claims victory over ISIS insurgents in Tikrit. (Reuters/AP/Washington Post)

Dozens of unidentified troops land by sea in Aden after Houthis seize control of its center.(Reuters/Washington Post)

Gunmen attack several Egyptian military checkpoints in Sinai, killing 15 soldiers and two civilians. (Reuters/New York Times/Ma’an)

The P5+1 talks with Iran stretch into another day; with diplomats saying prospects for a preliminary agreement were finely balanced between success and collapse. (Reuters/AP/JTA/Jerusalem Post)

Pres. Obama reportedly told Sec. Kerry to show the Iranians that he was ready to “blow up” the negotiations. (New York Times/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel) 

Israeli air force chief Gen. Amir Eshel says first-strike capability is still an option for Israel. (Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Commentary:

Jonathan Schanzer and Grant Rumley say the resignation of Palestinian Deputy PM Mustafa should be big news.  (Foreign Policy)

Akiva Eldar says the dangers PM Netanyahu perceives in the region obstruct his ability to see opportunities favorable to Israel. (Al-Monitor)

Avraham Burg says this is the worst time for Jews to abandon Europe. (Ha’aretz)

John Bellinger says ISIS leaders should be prosecuted at the ICC for international crimes rather than in national courts. (New York Times)

The New York Times says  ISIS's campaign of religious and cultural cleansing must not go unpunished by the UN. (New York Times)

Michael Young says the challenge for Lebanon will be to manage Hezbollah’s fluctuating fortunes. (Daily Star)

Joyce Karam says Obama’s full resumption of military aid to Egypt concludes the administration’s failed experiment in Egypt. (Al Arabiya)

Arif Rafiq looks at the “dangerous and delicate” Saudi-Pakistan alliance. (Foreign Policy)

Alan Philps says during the time Iran has taken to get within striking distance of a nuclear deal, it has come close to being the dominant regional power. (The National)

Nicholas Kristof says a nuclear deal with Iran isn’t just about bombs. (New York Times)

Yossi Mekelberg looks at Israel’s last efforts to stop an Iranian nuclear agreement. (Al Arabiya)

Israel Harel says there are a few indications that positions on the Iranian nuclear deal are hardening in Washington, due to pressure from Israel and Congress. (Ha’aretz)

News:

The PA joins the ICC. (Reuters/AP/JTA/Jerusalem Post)

Gazans hope the ICC will hold Israel accountable. (AFP)

An opinion poll indicates the majority of Palestinians support a decision by the PLO to end security cooperation with Israel. (Ma’an)

Saudi Arabia contributes $60 million to the PA budget. (Ma’an)

The PA will pay partial salaries as Israel withholds Palestinian tax revenues.(Reuters)

Hamas leader Meshaal says Israeli extremism killed the peace process. (Ynet)

The Israeli city of Nazareth has no Arabic library books. (PNN)

An Interior Ministry committee in Israel approves preliminary plans for the construction of 2,200 housing units in a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem. (JTA/Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post)

The Palestinian Football Association will ask FIFA to suspend Israel. (Times of Israel/Jerusalem Post) 

Israeli forces open fire at Gaza fishermen. (Ma’an)

Israel applies to join the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. (Reuters)

ISIS seizes control of most of the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in southern Damascus. (AFP/Jerusalem Post)

Jordan closes its border with Syria amid heavy clashes. (AP/Jordan Times)

Iraq’s Interior Minister al-Ghabban says most of Tikrit has been liberated. (Reuters/AP)

Pres. Sisi welcomes the release of withheld US military aid. (AP/New York Times/Foreign Policy)

An explosion at a dairy factory in Yemen kills at least 27 people. (New York Times/Washington Post)

Sec. Kerry renews effort to reach a preliminary nuclear deal with Iran. (New York Times)

Despite progress, the P5+1 and Iran hit an impasse over key details such as the lifting of UN sanctions and Iran's future atomic research. (Reuters/New York Times/Washington Post)

PM Netanyahu calls for a “better deal” with Iran. (Reuters/AP/JTA/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Commentary:

Don Futterman says the rise of Ayman Odeh presents a unique opportunity to improve Jewish-Arab relations. (Ha’aretz)

Peter Beinart looks at Netanyahu’s never-ending excuse for opposing a two-state solution. (Ha’aretz)

Ahmad Melhem looks at Palestine’s lingering water crisis. (Al-Monitor)

The New York Times says the Saudi-led bombing campaign threatens to turn a civil war into a larger Shiite-Sunni war with Iran. (New York Times)

Michael Young explains why Iran will find the struggle with the Sunni world hard to sustain. (The National)

Rami Khouri says Yemen’s war reflects a new regional era. (Daily Star)

Salman Aldossary says countries participating in “Operation Decisive Storm” have done a good job launching a necessary war to avoid repeating the Syrian tragedy. (Asharq al-Awsat)

Eyad Abu Shakra says “Operation Decisive Storm” is a good start for saving Yemen. (Asharq al-Awsat)

Jamal Khashoggi looks at the “Salman Doctrine.”

The New York Times says by releasing American military aid to Egypt, the Obama administration used both punishment and incentives to set a new tone for a “frayed relationship.” (New York Times)

David Ignatius says the process of engagement with Iran is a significant achievement of the Obama administration, even if the nuclear accord unravels. (Washington Post)

News:

The PA will become the 123rd member of the ICC on Wednesday. (Reuters/AFP)

Palestinians may have to wait for years for their day in court with Israel. (Reuters)

To an increasing number of Palestinians, Pres. Abbas is inextricably enmeshed with their broader problems. (New York Times)

The release of Palestinian tax revenues has been held up over a dispute regarding the size of the PA’s unpaid electric bill. (Times of Israel)

Displaced Gazans have begun to return to their damaged homes while they wait for promised aid to arrive. (AP)

Palestinian Deputy PM Mustafa who is overseeing Gaza reconstruction submits his resignation. (AP)

An Israeli NGO says it will file a complaint against Hamas with the US Department of Justice forfiring rockets against Ben-Gurion Airport during last summer's war. (Ha’aretz/Times of Israel/Ynet)

Israeli forces demolish a home near Jerusalem's Old City. (Ma’an)

Some Jewish House Democrats call on Pres. Obama to tamp down the rhetoric against PM Netanyahu. (JTA)

Saudi led-airstrikes hit Houthi militia targets across Yemen overnight. (Reuters/AP/New York Times)

Military experts say Saudi Arabia can easily afford its military intervention in Yemen and the cost is unlikely to limit the duration or scale of its operations. (Reuters)

Iraqi security forces seize government headquarters in the battle for Tikrit. (Reuters/AP/Washington Post)

The US and Kuwait pledge $1 billion towards easing Syria's humanitarian crisis. (Reuters/AP/The National)

Officials say the P5+1 and Iran will issue a general statement agreeing to continue talks in a new phase aimed at reaching a final agreement by the end of June. (AP/New York Times/Washington Post/Times of Israel)

FM Lavrov heads back to Lausanne for the P5+1 talks with Iran and says prospects for reaching a deal are “good.” (AP/Ha’aretz)

A poll indicates that the majority of Americans back a nuclear deal with Iran. (Washington Post)

An Israeli official says Iran is placing guided warheads on Hezbollah rockets. (Jerusalem Post)

Commentary:

Dennis Ross, Ghaith al-Omari and  David Makovsky say Netanyahu must offer up hope to Palestinians or face a revived de-legitimization movement.(Politico)

Raphael Ahren says the significance of Palestine’s ICC membership taking effect tomorrowdepends on the next steps by the political leaderships in Jerusalem and Ramallah. (Times of Israel)

Akiva Eldar asks if the Swiss employment plan will help rehabilitate Gaza. (Al-Monitor)

Rasha Abou Jalal says Rafah is in dire need of a central hospital. (Al-Monitor)

Ron Prosor says the UN has become a forum for “hypocrites,” in which repressive regimes single out Israel for “special punishment.” (New York Times)

Hussein Ibish looks at how the split of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood could herald a historic realignment of Islamist politics in the Middle East. (New York Times)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed says establishing an Arab military force, funding it and leading it are complicated issues which require thinking about all future possibilities. (Al Arabiya)

The Washington Post says an Arab military force could compound the regions problems. (Washington Post)

Salman Aldossary calls on the GCC to unite on Yemen. (Asharq al-Awsat)

Micah Zenko says the US is at war in Yemen and does not want to admit it. (Foreign Policy)

Eugene Robinson says US policies in the Middle East are “inconsistent but wise.” (Washington Post)

The National says ignoring Syria is not an option. (The National)

Barak Ravid gives a primer on the P5+1 talks with Iran.  (Ha’aretz)

News:

The PA will reportedly pause ICC steps against Israel regarding settlement construction in exchange for tax revenues. (Ma’an/Jerusalem Post)

Palestinians deny report which claims that the PA agreed to halt war crimes charges against Israel in exchange for tax revenues. (Ha’aretz)

Pres. Abbas urges the Arab League to carry out an “intervention policy” in Palestine. (Ynet)

Pres. Putin says his country will support efforts to build a Palestinian state with a capital in East Jerusalem. (JTA)

The PA says it will provide financial support to 15,000 displaced Gazans. (Ma’an)

Egyptian border guards uncover a 2.8 km-long tunnel under the yards of three homes in Rafah near the Gaza border. (Ma’an)

Thousands of Palestinians march to commemorate Land Day. (Ma’an)

Israel detains 25 Palestinians in overnight raids. (Ma’an/PNN)

FIFA orders an Israeli soccer club to compensate a Palestinian club. (Ha’aretz)

Former Sec. Clinton wants to improve relations with Israel. (New York Times/JTA)

The Arab League unveils plans to form a joint Arab force amid Yemen crisis. (AP/New York Times/Washington Post/The National)

Houthi militiamen push into the northeastern outskirts of the Yemeni port city of Aden amid heavy clashes with loyalists of Pres. Hadi. (Reuters/Washington Post)

King Salman says he is open to meeting all Yemeni political parties. (Al Arabiya)

A high-level Pakistani defense delegation heads to Saudi Arabia to discuss support in Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. (Reuters)

Pres. Erdogan says he still plans to visit Iran next week, but is watching the crisis in Yemen. (Reuters)

Pres. Assad says Russia is supplying weapons to Damascus under contracts signed since the conflict in Syria began in 2011. (Reuters/AP)

The UN says up to $9 billion is needed for basic help of Syrian civilians. (AP)
http://www.statesman.com/videos/news/un-up-to-9bn-needed-for-basic-help-of-syrian/vDMb7Q/

King Abdullah meets with Speaker Boehner in Amman. (Jordan Times)

Reuters and Washington Post looks at the setbacks and progress in the latest round of the P5+1 nuclear talks with Iran. (Reuters/Washington Post)

The US says shipping uranium out of Iran is still part of a possible nuclear deal. (New York Times)

PM Netanyahu expresses “deep concern” on pending Iran deal. (AP/AFP/JTA/Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Commentary:

Joseph Dana says Palestinian citizens of Israel must establish unity through reform in order to secure their rights. (The National)

The Jordan Times says Palestinians need a process of implementation of all resolutions adopted by the Security Council, starting with 242. (Jordan Times)

Raphael Ahren says the EU is not currently reassessing its approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Times of Israel)

Nahum Barnea says in a right-wing government, Netanyahu will be more attentive to the world's reactions than in a national unity government. (Ynet)

Ha’aretz says Herzog and Livni must present a clear alternative to “Likud's destructive policies” from the opposition. (Ha’aretz)

David Horovitz tells Pres. Obama to reconsider an Iranian nuclear agreement. (Times of Israel)

Amos Harel says Netanyahu has inadvertently positioned himself as someone whom the Americans won’t take seriously on Iran. (Ha’aretz)

Seth Lipsky says a P5+1 deal with Iran would be the worst American betrayal of Israel yet. (Ha’aretz)

Ali Alfoneh and Reuel Marc Gerecht look at Iran’s troubling alliance with North Korea. (Washington Post)

Jackson Diehl says Obama has set the stage for a foreign policy legacy. (Washington Post)

Faisal Al Yafai says even before the Saudi-led coalition struck, Yemen was suffocating. (The National)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed says after the Yemen intervention there should be a negotiated peace. (Asharq al-Awsat)

Raghida Dergham says “Operation Decisive Storm” responds to Iran’s encroachment on Saudi borders. (Al Arabiya)

Sinem Cengiz looks at Turkey’s stance on the Yemen crisis. (Al Arabiya)

Salman Aldossary says Iran’s allies are the Houthis’ allies. (Asharq al-Awsat)

David Schenker and Gilad Wenig look at the pan-Arab coalition that is stepping up as Yemen falls apart and US policy remains unclear. (Wall Street Journal)

David Rothkopf says the entire Middle East is at war right now, and the Obama administration's strategic incoherence is aiding and abetting the chaos. (Foreign Policy)

Michael Weiss and Michael Pregent say the US is providing air cover for ethnic cleansing in Iraq. (Foreign Policy)

The National asks if Syria can remain whole without Idlib. (The National)

Mustapha Tlili says bold action, by the US in particular, could make a big difference in saving Tunisia’s young democracy. (New York Times)

News:

UN Envoy Serry urges the Security Council to revive talks between Israel and the Palestinians. (New York Times/AP/Jerusalem Post)

Hamas welcomes Egypt’s decision to drop the classification of the movement as a terrorist organization.  (Ma’an)

The EU will keep Hamas on its terrorism blacklist as it appeals a court ruling. (Times of Israel)

Hamas rejects a report by Amnesty International accusing the group of war crimes. (Ma’an)

The Chair of the Joint List Odeh begins a four-day walk to Jerusalem in support of the impoverished Bedouin community. (AFP)

young Palestinian man dies a week after being shot during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank. (JTA)

Israel applies its penal code across the occupied West Bank. (Ha’aretz)

A Jerusalem court says Palestinian fathers can be with their Israeli wives during childbirth. (Ha’aretz)

An Israeli court sentences an Islamist leader in Israel to 11 months in prison for incitement to violence and racism. (JTA)
http://www.jta.org/2015/03/27/news-opinion/israel-middle-east/israeli-islamist-gets-11-month-sentence-for-incitement

The Pentagon declassifies a 386-page report from 1987 that includes extensive details on Israel's nuclear program. (The Forward/Institute for Defense Analyses)

The Saudi led-campaign strikes Sanaa, as Morocco joins the alliance. (Reuters/AP/Al Arabiya)

Egypt and Saudi Arabia say they are ready to send ground forces to Yemen. (New York Times/Washington Post/The National)

The National look at why the US supports the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen. (The National)

Pres. Assad says he is open to a dialogue with the US, but that it must be "based on mutual respect." (AP/Reuters)

Turkey says the US-led campaign to train Syrian rebels has been delayed by Washington. (Reuters)

American airstrikes on ISIS in Tikrit prompt a boycott by Shiite fighters. (New York Times)

Ayatollah al-Sistani calls for unity after Shiite militias pull out of the offensive in Tikrit. (AP)

The P5+1 and Iran push for concessions ahead of a deadline for a preliminary nuclear deal. (Reuters)

FM Zarif says the focus at the nuclear talks remains reaching a deal, despite the Yemen crisis. (AP)

AP looks at the complex US-Iran relationship and how it is at the heart of a complicated Mideast policy. (AP)

Commentary:

Colum Lynch says France may lead the UN diplomatic drive for a concrete plan laying out terms for a negotiated peace between Israel and the Palestinians. (Foreign Policy)

Adnan Abu Amer says Hamas is seeking to expand its regional relations, especially with Egypt. (Al-Monitor)

Seraj Assi and Arnon Degani say the early Israeli establishment allowed Palestinian citizens to vote and Zionist parties even courted their support. (Ha’aretz)

Shlomi Eldar interviews MP Aida Touma-Sliman. (Al-Monitor)

Simon Henderson looks at Saudi Arabia’s “big gamble” in Yemen. (Foreign Policy)

Nawaf Obaid looks at the new generation of Saudi leaders and their new foreign policy. (Washington Post)

Salman Aldossary says Yemenis appear to care less about their own country than other countries do. (Asharq al-Awsat)

Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor defends “Operation Decisive Storm.” (Al Arabiya)

The Daily Star says Iran should stop seeking to widen its influence through arming nonstate actors. (Daily Star)

Zaid Belbagi says a full-time joint GCC force should be a priority. (Al Arabiya)

Mark Mazzetti and David Kirkpatrick say in becoming involved in a Saudi-led campaign to dislodge rebels in Yemen, the US has created more entanglement with its alliances. (New York Times)

Andrew Bowen says Pres. Obama should take robust action to support his allies in the Gulf in defending the sovereignty of Yemen and ensuring the security of the GCC.(Al Arabiya)

Fareed Zakaria says George W. Bush was right on Yemen. (Washington Post) 

The New York Times says Obama has failed to explain how the bombing of Tikrit advances American interests. (New York Times)

The Washington Post says the Middle East breakdown was a long time in the building. (Washington Post)


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