Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdgan, declared Ankara is freezing all trade and military ties with Israel, as well as stepping up Turkish naval patrols in the Mediterranean. read full story / add a comment

A group of 20 Israeli intellectuals, including artists and writers, held a meeting with Abbas at his headquarters in Ramallah, and discussed the Palestinian move for full membership at the UN and their right to statehood. They also expressed support to the Palestinian right to independence and statehood after ending the Israeli occupation. read full story / add a comment

A republican congresswoman introduced a bill, along with 57 co-sponsors, asking Congress to block U.S. funds for any United Nations entity that supports giving Palestine an elevated status at the UN. read full story / add a comment

Israeli President Shimon Peres has been holding secret talks with the top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat in Ramallah. The talks are an attempt to restart peace talks and stop a Palestinian bid for statehood at the UN in September. read full story / add a comment

According to Israeli sources, some high-level officials in the Israeli cabinet have suggested that Israel should call off the 1993 Oslo Agreement with the Palestinians, if the Palestinian Authority moves ahead with a bid for statehood at the United Nations in September. read full story / add a comment

Palestine's chief negotiator Saeb Ereikat said that a recently-released YouTube video by Israel's Foreign Ministry shows that Israel is not interested in the peace process. read full story / add a comment

In an address to the Dutch Parliament, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that the Palestinian Authority has repeatedly recognized Israel's right to exist, and now it is necessary for Israel to reciprocate by recognizing the Palestinian state, “on the borders of the land occupied [by the Israeli military] in 1967.” read full story / add a comment

On Wednesday, Maan News reported that Fatah and Hamas have agreed to post-pone reconciliation efforts until after the UN bid for Palestinian statehood. read full story / add a comment

Israel reported a record $7.2 billion weapons exports solidifying its position in the top four countries profiting from war and destruction. The other two main official sources of income for Israel (foreign aid and its pillaging of the Palestinian economy) are also at a record high. read full story / add a comment

Jordan’s King Abdullah has stated in an interview with the Washington Post that he is pessimistic that there will be progress on Israeli Palestinian peace talks in 2011. read full story / add a comment

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Israeli Army radio on Tuesday that focusing the international Mid-East policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was, "naive." read full story / add a comment

The US has signalled that it intends to maintain its leading position in facilitating Middle East peace talks with its announcement of discussions aimed at renewing the peace process.
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Visiting Italy Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, held a meeting, on Thursday, with Israeli President, Shimon Peres, and the two held talks on the efforts to resume the stalled Palestinian-Israeli peace talks. read full story / add a comment

French Foreign Minister, Alain Juppe, has proposed a Middle East peace conference in Paris before the end of July in an attempt to restart the stalled Middle East peace process, according to AFP. read full story / add a comment