May 12th

Obama plans address on Middle East after Arab spring, death of bin Laden
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Yahoo News
by Laura Rozen - May 11, 2011 - 12:00am


President Barack Obama plans to give a major speech on the dramatic shifts underway in the Middle East and North Africa, White House officials said today.


Amid Syria's turmoil, Israel sees Assad as the lesser evil
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Joshua Mitnick - May 6, 2011 - 12:00am


As Syria's Assad regime buckles under mass protests for reform and democracy, neighboring Israel is watching with unease. True, the downfall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would ostensibly remove a key player in the Iranian-led alliance threatening the Jewish state on several fronts. But Syria under Mr. Assad has been a stable neighbor and maintained a regional balance that officials and analysts fear could crumble – providing an opening for hard-line Islamist groups.


Middle East peace: The wrong pact
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Michael B. Oren - (Opinion) May 12, 2011 - 12:00am


The world shared the American people's gratitude for the special forces who rid us of Osama bin Laden, but there was one flagrant exception. "We condemn the assassination of an Arab holy warrior," declared Ismail Haniyeh, the prime minister of the Hamas regime in Gaza, who also deplored "the continuing American policy … of shedding Muslim blood."


For Jerusalem’s Armenians, 1,600 years of history and an uncertain future
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
May 12, 2011 - 12:00am


One of the four quarters of old Jerusalem belongs to the Armenians, keepers of an ancient monastery and library, heirs to a tragic history and to a stubborn 1,600-year presence that some fear is now in doubt.


A Year After Israeli Raid, 2nd Flotilla to Set Sail for Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Susanne Gusten - May 11, 2011 - 12:00am


Riding the ripples of the Golden Horn, the Mavi Marmara tugs at its moorings in the shipyard where it is being readied to head back into troubled waters. A flotilla of 15 ships carrying humanitarian aid and activists from 100 countries will sail for Gaza next month, in a second attempt to break the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory, organizers announced this week.


May 11th

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.



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