March 10th

Obama taps top foreign policy aide as ambassador to Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Peter Nicholas - March 9, 2011 - 1:00am

President Obama is nominating a top foreign policy aide, Daniel B. Shapiro, as ambassador to Israel — tapping for the sensitive diplomatic post a Hebrew-speaking Middle East specialist who has been in charge of outreach to the American Jewish community. If he wins Senate confirmation, Shapiro, whose nomination was announced Wednesday, will replace James Cunningham, a George W. Bush appointee who will be rotating out of the job later this year.

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March 9th

Pres. Abbas hints at resignation. PM Fayyad affirms that there can be no Palestinian state or peace with Israel retaining the Jordan Valley, but PM Netanyahu insists it must. Hamas says Gazans will turn the Knesset into Tahrir Square. Palestinian women still face marginalization. Analysts look at whether Israel's pledge to dismantle unauthorized outposts could revamp peace talks. A radio station promotes Palestinian women's rights. Niva Lanir says the world is looking at Israel the way it looked at South Africa. Israel's military predicts it could not contain a West Bank uprising. Palestinian citizens of Israel say they are being pushed into a corner. Settlers say they will resume work on unauthorized structures. Amr Mousa says that if he is President of Egypt, he will maintain the treaty with Israel. The UK is upgrading the status of the PLO mission but says it's still not ready to recognize a Palestinian state. Gershon Baskin says Netanyahu should commit Israel to peace, and Leonard Fein says Pres. Obama should tell them that too. Hamas is criticized for a media crackdown. The Palestinian national soccer team will play its first home match.

UK to upgrade Palestinian diplomatic status
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
March 7, 2011 - 1:00am

Britain will upgrade the status of the Palestinian delegation to London to the level of a mission in line with a number of other EU countries, Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Monday. "Given the extent of our aid to the Palestinian Authority and our work with them, we will join many other countries in upgrading the status of the Palestinian delegation to London to the level of a mission," he told parliament. The decision puts Britain in line with fellow European Union members France, Ireland, Portugal and Spain.

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PCBS: Palestinian women still 'marginal' in PA
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
March 8, 2011 - 1:00am

Palestinian women are increasingly involved in political life, but their presentation as decision makers in the Palestinian Authority is still marginal, a study found. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics conducted the study to mark International Women's Day. The positions of president of the Stock Exchange Authority and governor for Ramallah and Al-Bireh are both held by women. The president of PCBS, Ola Awad, was the first female to head a non-ministerial governmental institution.

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Zoabi versus bulldozers: Arabs being pushed into corner
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Hassan Shaalan - March 9, 2011 - 1:00am

Hundreds of Arab and Jewish women protested Tuesday evening in Lod to mark International Women's Day and took advantage of the event to attack the police and local authorities for demolishing houses in the Arab sector. The demonstration was held under the banner "Strong women against the bulldozers", and received support from Knesset Member Hanin Zoabi (Balad).

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IDF is preparing for mass civil uprising in West Bank
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Anshel Pfeffer - March 9, 2011 - 1:00am

The Central Command and the Judea and Samaria Division of the Israel Defense Forces have been closely monitoring the recent events in Arab states and updating their operational plans for dealing with a potential popular, nonviolent uprising. Nearly a year ago the Judea and Samaria Division drew up a comprehensive program to combat large demonstrations in the West Bank, which is currently being adjusted in light of the popular revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt.

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Settlers resume construction in Havat Gilad
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Yair Altman - March 9, 2011 - 1:00am

A week after the razing of illegal structures which prompted a series of protests and "price tag" activities, demolished structures in Havat Gilad have been rebuilt. In addition, four new structures are being set up. Meanwhile, the government has pledged to demolish the buildings by the end of the year. "Our Zionist response to the destruction of the country is to build immediately, not just the razed structures but several other ones," Itay Zar, Havat Gilad founder said.

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Settlers resume construction in Havat Gilad
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Yair Altman - March 9, 2011 - 1:00am

A week after the razing of illegal structures which prompted a series of protests and "price tag" activities, demolished structures in Havat Gilad have been rebuilt. In addition, four new structures are being set up. Meanwhile, the government has pledged to demolish the buildings by the end of the year. "Our Zionist response to the destruction of the country is to build immediately, not just the razed structures but several other ones," Itay Zar, Havat Gilad founder said.

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Moussa says he would maintain Egypt's peace with Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
March 9, 2011 - 1:00am

Outgoing Arab League chief and Egyptian presidential hopeful Amr Moussa on Tuesday suggested that he would maintain the peace treaty with Israel if he were to win in elections later this year, The Associated Press reported. "We as Egyptians have a responsibility to lay the foundations for peace...We cannot rebuild Egypt ... while adopting an adventurous foreign policy," he said, adding "we would be kidding ourselves" if Egyptians didn't recognize Israel as a state. Moussa added, however, that he would reconsider the terms of a deal by which Egypt supplies Israel with natural gas.

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World looks at Israel as it looked at Apartheid-era South Africa
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Niva Lanir - (Editorial) March 9, 2011 - 1:00am

Whether or not Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu uses "a supertanker against the bureaucracy," as he calls it, to alleviate the housing shortage, a no-fly zone for supertankers already exists. It exists whether his idea crashes in the Knesset debates on housing reforms, or flies high above the railway line that's supposed to be extended to Irbid in Jordan - in the East, where there are no procedures or bureaucracy.

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