Palestinian FM does not expect resuming peace talks soon ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Fares Akram, Chen Xu - April 13, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Al-Maliki on Wednesday said Israel's positions make the resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians more difficult. In an interview with Xinhua, Al-Maliki said the Palestinians will seek recognition of their state from the United Nations as a response to the failure of the latest round of U.S.-brokered peace negotiations. » Read more

Pushed by Goldstone, Israeli army embraces new ‘smart’ warfare ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Leslie Susser - April 11, 2011 - 12:00am Despite Israel’s rejection of the Goldstone report on the Gaza war a year-and-a-half ago, the international criticism it engendered has led the Israel Defense Forces to make a number of significant changes in policy and doctrine. And they'll stay even though Richard Goldstone has recanted one of the most significant findings of his committee's report -- that Israel intentionally targeted civilians and may have perpetrated war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. » Read more

Netanyahu's pulling-out plan preemptive act to avoid diplomatic tsunami ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Saud Abu Ramadan - April 14, 2011 - 12:00am The Palestinians were not surprised at the Israeli media reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering measures to defy a "diplomatic tsunami," if the UN recognizes a Palestinian state on the territories Israel occupied in 1967. Since the suspension of the direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians in last October, one month after it was launched in Washington, due to Israel's refusal to halt settlement construction, the Palestinians threatened to use diplomatic options, including grabbing international recognition of a Palestinian state. » Read more

Israel on the back foot ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) April 14, 2011 - 12:00am There has been lots of good news in the Arab world this week, thanks to the successful uprisings against autocratic regimes ushered in by the glorious Arab Spring and the international community’s encouraging response. An overwhelming majority or two-thirds (65 per cent) of Americans — more Democrats than Republicans — believe that “greater democracy in the Middle East would be positive for the US”. And in the long run, more than three-quarters (76 per cent) of Americans say democratisation would be mostly positive for the US. » Read more

New U.S. peace push must come soon - Palestinians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Ali Sawafta - April 13, 2011 - 12:00am The United States must move fast on its planned drive to revive Middle East talks before Palestinians seek recognition as a state, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday. "It's time for the American administration to move before September," the spokesman, Nabil Abu Rdainah, said. » Read more

America,s Arab comeback - except for Palestine ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by Daoud Kuttab - (Opinion) April 14, 2011 - 12:00am The past few months have seen no anti-American demonstrations and no burning of US flags across the Arab world. Arabs seem increasingly willing to accept - and even applaud - the Obama administration’s policy towards the region. Of course, Arabs are still unhappy with the continued US bias in favour of Israel. Its inability to end the 44-year military occupation of Palestinian lands has not gone unnoticed. But many Arabs nowadays prefer to give the US a break. » Read more

Fatah wins Bethlehem University elections ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency April 13, 2011 - 12:00am Fatah has won the student council elections at Bethlehem University in a vote that was boycotted by Hamas. Fatah picked up 18 seats, defeating a joint list by the Popular and Democratic Fronts for the Liberation of Palestine that won 13. About 60 percent of students participated in the elections, student elections officials said. Hamas and Islamic Jihad boycotted the vote and others at universities in the Fatah-run West Bank.

Fayyad claims 'birth certificate' for Palestinian statehood ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency April 13, 2011 - 12:00am Caretaker prime minister Salam Fayyad said Wednesday that UN endorsement of his administration's readiness to govern amounted to "a birth certificate" for statehood. Fayyad made the claim after the United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East peace process said in a report that the Palestinian Authority was "sufficient for a functioning government of a state." » Read more

Fatah insists 'there are no political prisoners' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency April 14, 2011 - 12:00am No promises were made to meet pro-unity protestors’ demands, and no political prisoners were being held, a Fatah official told Ma’an Thursday. Ma’an released documents Tuesday, which March 15 demonstrators say detail the names, detention dates and court verdicts ordering the release of 23 men being held illegally by the Palestinian Authority, and whom Abbas promised to release. » Read more

Palestinians build support for statehood at Brussels meeting ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Joshua Mitnick - April 13, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinians accelerated their drive toward statehood recognition at an international meeting in Brussels Wednesday, but it comes amid worry that Middle East unrest may further complicate prospects for peace by altering the regional landscape. With peace talks with Israel already mothballed, Palestinians are pursuing a United Nations vote on statehood in September – a goal that seems more likely after foreign donors heard upbeat endorsements of the Palestinian Authority's (PA) ability to govern a sovereign state. » Read more