The U.S. will no longer turn a blind eye to Israeli settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amos Harel, Avi Issacharoff - (Analysis) March 11, 2010 - 1:00am Even Mahmoud Abbas would have been hard put to dream up a greater victory for Palestinian diplomacy than the one handed to him Tuesday on a silver platter by the Israeli Interior Ministry. The condemnations have been pouring in since the plan to build 1,600 homes in Jerusalem's Ramat Shlomo neighborhood was announced. Not only from U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, but from the United Nations, the European Union and world leaders, all of them slamming the decision. » Read more

Biden to Israelis: Mideast status quo unsustainable ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz March 11, 2010 - 1:00am United States Vice President Joe Biden warned Israelis in a direct address from Tel Aviv on Thursday that the status quo in the Middle East was not sustainable, and vowed that the United States would do everything in its power to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. He also urged both Israelis and the Palestinians look toward direct negotiations to end the long-standing conflict. » Read more

Israel planning 50,000 housing units in East Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Nir Hasson - March 11, 2010 - 1:00am Some 50,000 new housing units in Jerusalem neighborhoods beyond the Green Line are in various stages of planning and approval, planning officials told Haaretz. They said Jerusalem's construction plans for the next few years, even decades, are expected to focus on East Jerusalem. » Read more

Women in charge in West Bank's key district ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Diaa Hadid - March 11, 2010 - 1:00am At 35, Leila Ghanem is the first woman to become a Palestinian governor, the latest in a group of trailblazing women leaders who are slowly winning acceptance in this traditional society. » Read more

Hamas frees British journalist in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Alastair MacDonald - March 11, 2010 - 1:00am A British journalist left the Gaza Strip on Thursday after nearly four weeks in a Hamas-run Palestinian jail facing accusations of spying for Israel. Paul Martin, a London-based freelance film-maker and writer, said as he left the enclave for Israel: "My release today is a great victory for freedom of the media, freedom of the press, to be able to follow the difficult stories in war zones." Hamas insisted on branding him a spy for Israel but said it had decided to deport rather than prosecute Martin, who is in his 50s and also holds South African citizenship. » Read more

Abbas: Arabs must intervene in peace debacle ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 11, 2010 - 1:00am President Mahmoud Abbas called on Arab representative bodies "to act swiftly, and to take steps... commensurate with this deadly work," referring to Israel's announced plans to build 1,600 new settlement homes in Jerusalem. Abbas' remarks were in a Palestinian Authority Information Ministry statement released Wednesday, slamming Israel's announcement, calling the move is part of Israel's "entrenched system of extremism." » Read more

Erekat says settlement move cancelled talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 11, 2010 - 1:00am Indirect talks with Israel will cease to go forward unless Israeli plans to construct 1,600 homes in East Jerusalem are axed, chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat said Thursday. The statement followed one by Arab League chief Amr Moussa, who announced Wednesday that "The Palestinian president decided he will not enter into those negotiations now ... the Palestinian side is not ready to negotiate under the present circumstances." Moussa later told reporters that "The talks have already stopped." » Read more

Staying true to 'two-state' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times (Editorial) March 11, 2010 - 1:00am For the better part of two decades, most Israelis and Palestinians and most of their elected leaders have embraced the "two-state solution" to their bloody conflict -- a negotiated separation into side-by-side states of Israel and Palestine. Over time, however, the two sides have moved further from that goal, pulled in opposite directions by extremists. Now, as Vice President Biden and U.S. envoy George J. Mitchell attempt to start "proximity" talks, in which the two sides will negotiate without meeting face to face, we're concerned: Is time running out for a two-state solution? » Read more

Biden tells Palestinians U.S. won't be deterred ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Paul Richter - March 11, 2010 - 1:00am Vice President Joe Biden told Palestinians on Wednesday that the United States intends to push ahead with its Mideast peacemaking effort, despite a diplomatic blow-up this week over Israel's plans to build 1,600 housing units in disputed East Jerusalem. Biden met in the West Bank with the Palestinian Authority president and prime minister, emphasizing U.S. determination to act as the intermediary in new talks between Israelis and Palestinians. The vice president reiterated his criticism of Israel's housing announcement, and declared that Palestinians deserve a "viable" state. » Read more

Biden's rebuke on new housing comes as Israel seeks to reaffirm U.S. relations ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Janine Zacharia - March 11, 2010 - 1:00am Two years ago, Israel announced plans to build new homes in east Jerusalem just as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was preparing to meet with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, prompting Rice's spokesman to characterize the move as "not helpful." » Read more