When it comes to the latest Arab peace initiative, two questions are circulating in Washington: Why Qatar? And why now? The three answers: Because Qatar is rich; it is scared; and why not? Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al Thani, the Qatari prime minister and foreign minister, in recent weeks has driven the revivification of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, moderating it slightly to hew closer to the outlines touted by the Obama administration since 2011. The updated version, outlined by Hamad in remarks to …More

Question: What do you get when you mix finger painting with cross-college training conventions and games on college quads? Answer: Israel Peace Week celebrations on college campuses across America. Israel Peace Week began as a grassroots initiative a few years ago when a group of Hasbara fellows on college campuses were looking for a way to spread the message that Israel wants peace. Since then, it has been adapted by students at dozens of campuses who devise new names and new methods to capture the attention of …More

Alumni and pro-Israel supporters of Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law have launched a campaign to prevent to the university from awarding former President Jimmy Carter with the school’s “International Advocate for Peace Award.” The award is being presented by the Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution. In reaction to the award, a group of leading alumni and pro-Israel supporters calling itself “The Coalition of Concerned Cardozo Alumni” has established a …More

Jonathan Revach, NoCamels - Israel Innovation News Thomas L. Friedman’s bestselling book “The World is Flat” describes globalization and the internet, which allows billions of users worldwide to connect. While some choose to use this “flat world” for commerce or finding friends online, others, such as Israeli project PeaceTube, set grander goals, like promoting world peace. The PeaceTube Project, a nonprofit project founded in 2011 by two Israeli friends, Lior Penso and Ziv Tubin, …More

Rob Lattin is Jspace News' Foreign Affairs Correspondent. In addition to covering foreign affairs for Jspace, Rob is a blogger on Israeli and Middle Eastern foreign policy for the Foreign Policy Association, as well as a freelance writer. He can be reached by email at rob@jspacecorp.com. There are misconceptions that the rise of Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party, which is now the second biggest party in the Knesset, will somehow result in a renewed liberal conviction in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. On …More

In separate conferences held in Berlin and Israel, young activists from Israel joined youth leaders from around the world to discuss Arab-Israeli relations and the environment. Ya-La Young Leaders, a Facebook-based program aimed to bring together youth from the Middle East, held its first ever gathering in Berlin over the weekend. Nimrod Ben-Zeev, an Israeli member of Ya-La said that 18 promising young leaders were selected from Israel, the Palestinian territories, Tunisia, Algeria, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan, Iraq …More

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman promises Germany’s Jewish and Muslim communities that they will be free to carry out circumcision on young boys despite a court ban. [Chicago Tribune] Jewish billionaire Michael Moritz donates £75 million to Oxford University to be put toward scholarships. [The Algemeiner] Arabs participating in Israel’s national service struggle with their identity and loyalty. [The New York Times] State house candidate Sheldon Lisbon apologizes for calling the …More

Israeli President Shimon Peres set up an official Facebook page dedicated to peace during a visit to the social network’s headquarters Tuesday. The effort is specifically dedicated to creating a dialogue with Arab youth in countries without diplomatic ties with Israel. "Neither the Iranians nor Syrians are enemies of ours, but rather the extremist leadership of these peoples,” the president told Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg during a live-streaming interview. In the opening post …More

“Israel wants peace, Israel needs a partner for peace. ”This is the proactive message that campus Israel activists are spreading as they prepare for Israel Peace Week (IPW) and Israel Apartheid Week (IAW). Hasbara Fellowships Midwest regional coordinator and former ICBreporter Daniel Cohen urges students to join the 70 universities that are bringing IPW events to their campus even if they don't believe IAW is coming to their school. “Sometimes you don’t know that apartheid week is going …More

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations will travel to Jordan today to meet with King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh to express support for his sponsorship of last month’s Israeli-Palestinian talks. The trip is part of the group’s annual leadership conference, held in Jerusalem. Representatives from nearly 100 Jewish organizations recently heard Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak on the threats facing Israel today. In these "turbulent times," the …More

The Anti-Defamation League honored ambassador Dennis Ross with its first ever award for distinguished public service for his efforts for peace in the Middle East. Ross accepted the ADL Distinguished Public Service Award at the annual dinner in Palm Beach, Florida. “Working for Israeli-Arab peace became my life’s work because I don’t see any other alternative for Israel,” Ross said as he accepted the award. “I thank you for this honor. When you think about organizations that fight for …More

President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed Iran and Middle East peace in a phone conversation, . "They reviewed the recent meetings between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Amman and the President reaffirmed his commitment to the goal of a comprehensive and lasting peace in the region," the White House said in a statement Thursday. "The two leaders also discussed recent Iran-related developments, including the international community’s efforts to hold Iran accountable …More