Palestinians are planning to create a central bank and currency. Palestinians are skeptical of the efficacy of protests. Ori Nir says Israelis should celebrate interdependence with Palestinians as well as their own independence. A Hamas leader reiterates it will not recognize Israel, and another gives Israel one year to recognize a Palestinian state. The first Palestinian corporate bonds are issued. The European Union will give the PA €85 million to help meet payroll. PM Netanyahu will address Congress on May 24. PM Fayyad may retain his position in a new government, which Hamas and Fatah leaders are meeting in Cairo to discuss. France may host an international meeting on the conflict. Palestinian leaders condemned Israel’s withholding of tax revenues, which Amira Hass calls “robbery,” and comments by the finance minister. Israel freezes construction of part of the separation barrier. Shlomo Avineri says peace requires Palestinian self-criticism. An Israeli court issues temporary orders stopping demolition of Palestinian homes. DM Barak presents new peace proposals. Israel is making a major investment in real-time satellite capacity. FM Lieberman says Israel will talk to the PA but not freeze settlements. A new study shows Israel stripped 140,000 Palestinians of Jerusalem residency from 1967-1994. Palestinian-Israeli security cooperation may be in jeopardy. Analysts consider how far Hamas will compromise with Fatah, and Osama Al Sharif says many obstacles to the agreement remain. Jameel Theyabi looks at the relationship between Hamas, Syria and Iran. Hussein Ibish says not enough information is available for a serious analysis of the Hamas-Fatah agreement.

FM: Israel will talk with PA, but won’t freeze settlements
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Hilary Leila Krieger, Tovah Lazaroff - May 11, 2011 - 12:00am


Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Tuesday called on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to reject the unity deal Fatah made with Hamas and to resume direct talks with Israel – even though Israel has no intention of ceding to Abbas’s demand that it freeze settlement activity.


Israel to invest millions in real-time satellite capacity
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Yaakov Katz - May 11, 2011 - 12:00am


The Defense Ministry is set to invest millions to upgrade Israel’s space communication capabilities, to enable reconnaissance and surveillance satellites used by the IDF to provide real-time intelligence. As things stand, Israeli satellites can only download their data when they fly directly over Israel – which can mean a delay of up to 90 minutes, a critical handicap in times of conflict.


Barak presents plan for Palestinian accord
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
May 11, 2011 - 12:00am


Defense Minister Ehud Barak revealed his plan for an accord with the Palestinians on Tuesday, hinting at the points Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to present in his upcoming speech before the US Congress and President Barack Obama. Speaking at a reception held traditionally for combat soldiers at IDF Headquarters in Tel Aviv, Barak said Israel was prepared to take "courageous steps" to bring about peace. "On the eve of this Independence Day, Israel is the strongest country within a radius of 1,500 km from Jerusalem," Barak said.


Court protects Palestinian homes, for now
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Ronen Medzini - May 11, 2011 - 12:00am


Palestinian homes in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of al-Bustan are not to be demolished until plans are finalized and approved for the park that is to be established in their stead, the Jerusalem District Court ruled Wednesday. Mayor Nir Barkat is promoting the plans, which require the demolition of 22 illegally-built homes. In exchange, the Arabs who reside in these homes will receive permits to build new homes legally on the other side of the neighborhood, at their expense. In addition, the 66 other homes in the neighborhood will be legalized retroactively.


Mideast peace requires Palestinian self-criticism
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Shlomo Avineri - (Opinion) May 11, 2011 - 12:00am


Efforts by members of Israel's far right to forbid the country's Arab citizens from commemorating the Nakba are mean, foolish and destined to fail. But initiatives by the extreme left to turn Nakba Day into a joint memorial day for all of Israel's citizens are also doomed. Israel is not a binational state, and with all due liberalism and humanism, it is hard to treat victory and defeat in the same way.


Israel is getting away with robbing Palestinian taxes
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amira Hass - (Opinion) May 11, 2011 - 12:00am


Once again, Israel is showing everyone who the real man is here. It is busy carrying out (yet another ) robbery in broad daylight of $105 million from the Palestinians. And as usual, it is going off without a hitch.


Report: Israel freezes West Bank fence near major settlement bloc
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
May 11, 2011 - 12:00am


Israel has frozen the construction of the West Bank separation fence near the Gush Etzion settlement bloc over budget concerns, Army Radio said on Wednesday, adding that Defense Ministry documents showed construction could resume in late 2012. According to a Defense Ministry document quoted in the Army Radio report, the defense establishment "realizes the importance of erecting the fence and retains all of the claims to its construction despite a lack of funding." The cost of completing the said section is estimated at around NIS 5 billion.


Palestinian leadership condemns Israeli finance minister on revenues
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
May 11, 2011 - 12:00am


The Palestinian leadership on Wednesday condemned remarks by Israeli finance minister that withholding Palestinian money was an initial warning to the Palestinian National Authority. The statements by the minister, Yuval Steinitz, were "racial," said Yasser Abed Rabbo, a member of the PLO's Executive Committee. "They indicate that collective punishment is the easiest policy Israel resorts to."


France considers int'l meeting on Israeli-Palestinian peace: official
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
May 10, 2011 - 12:00am


France plans to hold an international conference on peace by the end of June, a Palestinian official said Tuesday. Saeb Erekat, a Palestinian negotiator, said that France has informed the Palestinian leadership about its intention to host the peace conference on the sidelines of a meeting for international donors to the Palestinians in Paris next month.



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