Palestinians try to create a “Facebook revolution.” Dashiell Shapiro says Egypt should resume responsibility for Gaza. Hamas urges Gaza students not to study the Holocaust. Israel tests another advanced weapon. Israel permits tomato exports from Gaza. Israel may seek an interim agreement with the Palestinians. Israel plans more settlement units in occupied East Jerusalem. Israel says settler evacuations are not a new policy. Pres. Abbas urges the Quartet to launch a “meaningful” peace process. Hamas again demands reform of the PLO. Ha’aretz says to keep Israel Jewish, settlements must be frozen. Aluf Benn says PM Netanyahu lacks international credibility. A veteran Israeli diplomat says both the PM and the FM are harming Israel’s international standing. Israeli rightists march in Jaffa. Eitan Haber says Israel needs peace with Syria. Jehan Sadat says the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty is not in danger. Settlers accuse Netanyahu of imposing a de facto settlement freeze. J Street leaders say being pro-Palestinian is being pro-Israel. Hussein Ibish is interviewed on Palestinian state building.

Keep Israel Jewish, freeze settlements
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
(Editorial) March 2, 2011 - 1:00am

As might have been expected, the government's decision to inform the Supreme Court of its intention to immediately demolish all unauthorized settler outposts on privately-owned Palestinian land (except for the home of the late Maj. Eliraz Peretz ) has aroused the rage of settlers and their patrons in the Knesset. The right wing has learned that in most cases a combination of violent demonstrations and political pressure is enough to turn such decisions into requests that the Supreme Court instead allow the outposts to remain, and to continue to turn a blind eye to their expansion.

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Settlement evacuation not a sign of Israeli new policy
Media Mention of Hussein Ibish In Xinhua - March 2, 2011 - 1:00am

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday told a member of his Likud party that Israel cannot ignore world pressure over its construction of settlements in the West Bank. Netanyahu said his government is trying to maintain the current pace of building, but Israel now faces a new international reality. The comments were made one week after the United States used its veto in the UN Security Council to block a resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank, while the 14 other members of the council voted in favor.

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Netanyahu lacks credibility in the eyes of world leaders
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Aluf Benn - (Opinion) March 2, 2011 - 1:00am

Two years after returning to power, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is enmeshed in a web of onerous constraints and seeking a way out. Polls show his popularity plunging, and his Likud party's brand has been squeezed between Kadima and Yisrael Beiteinu.

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Veteran Israeli diplomat: Netanyahu and Lieberman harm Israel's international standing
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Barak Ravid - March 2, 2011 - 1:00am

The diplomatic policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman are harming Israel's international standing, a senior Israeli diplomat said in his retiring letter on Tuesday, adding that he felt Israel's declared stance regarding regional peace attempts was aiding in its own delegitimization.

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Hamas demands PLO reform ahead of reconciliation
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
March 1, 2011 - 1:00am

Hamas said on Tuesday that achieving national reconciliation requires the reform of Palestine Liberation Organization. "Any speech on reconciliation is useless without the reform of the PLO and the Palestinian National Council," said Yousef Rizka, an aide to Hamas leader Ismail Haneya in Gaza. He called on the heads of PLO's factions to start the reform immediately. Hamas is not represented in the PLO, which is dominated by the Fatah party of Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

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Abbas wants Quartet to launch "meaningful" peace process
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
March 1, 2011 - 1:00am

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday called on the European Union (EU) to urge the Quartet of Middle East peace players to launch a "meaningful" peace process. Abbas made his remarks after his meeting with Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

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Rightists march in Jaffa
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Yoav Zitun - March 2, 2011 - 1:00am

Traffic was halted on one of Jaffa's main streets Wednesday morning as 60 right-wing activists prepared to march in protest against "the Islamic Movement's operations in the city" and "the Islamic takeover". Large police forces were deployed to prevent clashes with residents. As the marchers proceeded down the street residents called out, "racists go home" and some clashes broke out. Police detained 16 left-wing activists for questioning after an officer was lightly injured in the clashes.

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Settlement evacuation not a sign of Israeli new policy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
by Adam Gonn - March 2, 2011 - 1:00am

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday told a member of his Likud party that Israel cannot ignore world pressure over its construction of settlements in the West Bank. Netanyahu said his government is trying to maintain the current pace of building, but Israel now faces a new international reality. The comments were made one week after the United States used its veto in the UN Security Council to block a resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank, while the 14 other members of the council voted in favor.

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Peace now, with Syria
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Eitan Haber - (Opinion) March 1, 2011 - 1:00am

One needs to be nuts in order to endorse peace negotiations with Syria at this time, no? Today, with turmoil all around us, as Egypt burns, Libya is in flames, and the same is happening in Yemen, Oman, and Bahrain? Right now? After all, what’s so wrong with the quiet that prevails on the Syrian border? For 37 years now there have been no clashes with the Syrian army on the Golan Heights. No casualties were reported and their soldiers (or so we believe) are terrified in their own bunkers, fearing the rush of Israeli tanks into Syria. So why now of all times?

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