New Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke with The Atlantic on his first day in office, declaring the need for the United States to prevent a nuclear Iran. Netanyahu did not reject President Barack Obama’s attempts to use diplomacy with Iran, instead focusing on the eventual outcome of a nuclear-free Iran as the only important metric.

The latest op-ed from left-wing journalist Amira Hass describes the need to dismiss democracy in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in order to secure the future of the peace process. She claims that the Palestinian Authority must first establish a sovereign state, accomplished partially by a strong government not weakened by small or extreme parties. The actualization of an independent state must take priority. She states:

“In their preoccupation with the elections and the makeup of a government whose powers are so limited, they are reinforcing the false image of an end to the occupation that has developed over the past 15 years and has been so beneficial to Israel. Israel renounces any obligation vis-a-vis the occupied people, and has gone to even greater extremes in its methods of oppression; it continues to treat that people’s land as its own, while, by the very act of formally participating in the negotiations, it satisfies the demands of the governments that count in the world.

If they really aspired to liberation, the two Palestinian leaderships would break a few rules in the Oslo game. They would give up the process of Western-style elections, which is essentially divisive. They would find other means of expressing differences and consensus, and also of encouraging public discourse concerning all the methods of liberation that have failed so far. “

Even before the next government officially takes over, the ideologically divided Likud-led cabinet appears fragile and faces the threat of withdrawal of one coalition partner. Likud Chairman Binyamin Netanyahu supposedly promised his greatest inter-party challenger, Silvan Shalom, the post of Foreign Minister in the event that Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman, tapped to head the Foreign Ministry in the next government, becomes officially indicted due to accusations of fraud and money laundering. However, Lieberman maintained that his party would quit the coalition if the post does not remain with Yisrael Beiteinu. Netanyahu promised the post to his own Likud rival due to Shalom’s lack of a portfolio in the upcoming government. Meanwhile, the list of ministers expanded to 30 positions, the largest in Israel’s history. Notably, Yuval Steinitz will serve as the next Finance Minister, a post Netanyahu originally intended on keeping for himself.

Following recent accounts of human rights violations from soldiers fighting in Operation Cast Lead, the IDF concluded an investigation into the accusations and deemed them categorically untrue. The international community as well as human rights groups condemned Israel for the supposed abuses, leading to major criticisms of Israel for using inhumane force. However, some groups called for an independent investigation into the allegations in order to attempt and obtain an unbiased report, claiming that the IDF by definition could not conduct an impartial inquiry.

Likud Chairman Binyamin Netanyahu intends to finalize his cabinet with the appointment of party members to the remaining posts, the most prominent of which is the Finance Minister. However, his chief Likud rival Silvan Shalom, may refuse all positions aside from vice-Prime Minister and Finance Minister. Netanyahu originally intended on chairing the Finance Ministry himself, but he may need to alter that plan due to Shalom’s demands.

The Israeli government maintains its denial over allegations of human rights violations in the recent Gaza Operation. The IDF stated that some of the stories remain “urban myths” not witnessed by any soldiers. Further, officials noted that a vast majority of soldiers acted honorably to avoid civilian casualties.

At the Arab League Summit yesterday, a draft resolution calls on Israel to accept the Saudi Peace Plan, threatening to remove the deal as an option. Notably, the plan would give Israel full diplomatic ties with Arab nations if it grants Palestinian statehood with Jerusalem as its capital.

A new Seymour Hersh article describes the potential U.S. role in Middle East peace, particularly regarding Syria. The piece includes exclusive quotes from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and numerous U.S. officials.

An analysis piece describes the competing interests of Israel, the United States, Sudan, and Egypt regarding attacks on convoys smuggling weapons into the Gaza Strip. The article cites intelligence sources in the various countries as blaming the event first on the United States until U.S. officials leaked to the press that Israel instigated the attack. Further, the article blames media-hype for misrepresenting conjecture and rumor as fact.

The Israeli army used unmanned aerial vehicles at least three times since January to disrupt the flow of Iranian weapons from Sudan to the Gaza Strip, according to recent reports. The additional details involving the strikes indicated that the weapons convoys carried missiles that could reach both Tel Aviv and Israel’s nuclear reactor in Dimona. Israeli aircraft attacked ground-based smugglers on January 27 and February 11 while also destroying a ship in the Red Sea.

The saga for the return of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Sahlit continues with competing reports of simultaneous stalled and progressing negotiations. Ofer Dekel, Israel’s negotiator for Shalit’s release, travels to Cairo today to resume the talks. If Israel refuses to release all of the requested prisoners to exchange for Shalit, Hamas reitirated that it would abduct more soldiers. This Hamas stance also applies to Palestinians, however, with the terror group arresting various Fatah officials in the Gaza Strip. Many analysts view the abduction of Fatah officials by Hamas as the terror group’s method to quickly solidify power prior to reconciliation finalization in order to obtain a better posture in the future government.

At an anti-settlement protest outside of Hebron, some Palestinian publications contend that Israeli troops assaulted an arab member of Knesset from the Hadash party. The Israeli army denied the accusation and claims to possess video footage refuting the charge, although the military has yet to release the evidence. Skirmishes between soldiers and the demonstrators erupted due to the military’s claim that the protest was ‘illegal.’

A new article from the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies essentially details how Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert failed in every initiative of his since taking office. Namely, the author blames Olmert for failing to handle Hamas, thereby permitting the terrorist group to act freely, without repercussions, in the Gaza Strip. Moreover, Olmert failed to adequately engage the West Bank in peace initiatives, leaving the peace process stagnant.

Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erakat penned an op-ed for todays Washington Postdelineating steps towards the renewal of the peace process. He expresses concern regarding the upcoming Likud-led government in Israel, stating that the peace process reached a critical juncture putting a two state solution in jeopardy. His plan inlcudes: commitments by both sides to negotiations; reinstilling credibility in the process through settlement freezes and roadblock removal; and accountability through international pressure. However, similar to yesterday’s New York Times piece, he neglects to provide concrete steps Palestinians can take in support of the process, such as  ensuring Israeli security.

A New York Times editorial questions Binyamin Netanyahu’s intention on pursuing a peace plan and lists ways of beginning to forge trust between Israel and the Palestinians. However, the piece does not address what Palestinians must do in return to work towards a peace process. The piece urges:

we suggest that he start with freezing further settlement construction and expansion in the West Bank, as Israel has so often promised but failed to do. He should lift roadblocks between Palestinian cities and towns that are not needed for security. In East Jerusalem, he should stop the humiliating eviction of Palestinians. And in Gaza, he must expand exceptions to the blockade to allow the import of cement and reconstruction materials.

If Mr. Netanyahu is serious about being a partner for peace, he will not get in the way of the militant group Hamas entering a Palestinian unity government with the rival Fatah faction — as long as that government is committed to preventing terrorism and accepts past agreements between Israel and the Palestinians. He will recognize that the United States has its own interests in diplomacy with Syria, Iran and the Palestinians — and allow the Obama administration the freedom to pursue them. He also will not start a preventive war with Iran.