June 5th

No men allowed, the first 'women only' coffee shop in Ramallah
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
June 5, 2012 - 12:00am


A few meters away from the popular men's coffee shop of Baladna in downtown Ramallah lays a new rebellious concept: a 'women only' coffee shop. A billboard featuring three women on the sideways of the street advertises the coffee shop as well as a few radio and newspapers advertisements. A pink sign right outside the coffee shop reads: "Ladies coffee shop: for women only." As opposed to the open men cafes, the pink and white balloons at the entrance of the coffee shop, lead to a closed, yet colorful place.


Palestinian Authority cracks down in West Bank town
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Noah Browning, Ali Sawafta - June 4, 2012 - 12:00am


In the narrow streets of the Palestinian refugee camp in Jenin and the scruffy villages beyond, masked special forces bundle suspects into civilian cars with grim regularity, whisking them away to faraway Jericho prison. The near-nightly crackle of gunfire, sometimes from drive-by shootings against police stations, has accompanied a crime wave in the northern city of Jenin, once a hub of militants and suicide attackers who struck into nearby Israel.


Israel asks Arab visitors to open emails to search
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Josef Federman - June 4, 2012 - 12:00am


When Sandra Tamari arrived at Israel's international airport, she received an unusual request: A security agent pushed a computer screen in front of her, connected to Gmail and told her to "log in." The agent, suspecting Tamari was involved in pro-Palestinian activism, wanted to inspect her private email account for incriminating evidence. The 42-year-old American of Palestinian descent refused and was swiftly expelled from the country.


Israel's 'draconian' measures will not deter African migrants
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Vita Bekker - June 5, 2012 - 12:00am


Refugee advocates yesterday criticised as "draconian" Israel's announcement that it would begin jailing African asylum-seekers for up to three years, saying the measure would do little to deter more migrants from entering Israel illegally. In another development that reflected hostility towards the newcomers arriving through the Israeli-Egyptian desert border, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli premier, said yesterday that Israel will step up deportation plans for 25,000 of the migrants.


In unprecedented move, Israel's Foreign Ministry condemns violence against African migrants
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Barak Ravid - June 4, 2012 - 12:00am


The Foreign Ministry issued an unprecedented statement on Monday in which it harshly condemned the recent violence against African migrants living in Israel. Referring to an arson attack on Sunday against an apartment rented by Eritrean migrants, the statement said, "There is no justification [for] such a heinous crime that puts people's lives in harm's way... No person has the right to violate the law and resort to violence against others, certainly not to endanger lives, for any reason whatsoever."


Israeli Leader Pledges Hard Line on Migrants
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Isabel Kershner - June 4, 2012 - 12:00am


Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to step up efforts to deter, detain and deport illegal migrants to Israel, as tensions mount over an influx of asylum seekers from Africa. His pledge came a day before an early morning fire, apparently set by arsonists, ravaged an apartment occupied by about 10 Eritrean migrants on Monday. Four people were injured. Though there have been a number of firebomb attacks against migrants in south Tel Aviv in recent weeks, the fire was the first attack on migrants in Jerusalem, the police said.


June 4th

NEWS: PM Netanyahu reportedly vows that if the settlement housing units at the “Ulpana" outpost are dismantled, they will "be rebuilt tenfold elsewhere,” and says “our policy is to bolster the settlements.” The US says Israel is supportive of its policy of pursuing more sanctions against Iran. Israel enacts a new law allowing for the detention of migrants for up to 3 years, with Int. Min. Yishai saying many migrants “think the country doesn't belong to us, the white man." Two more Palestinians are injured in another Israeli airstrike on Gaza, as another dies of wounds sustained in a previous attack on Friday. PM Fayyad meets with the South African envoy and encourages a global boycott of settlement products. Arab states reportedly pledge $100 million per month in aid to the PA if Israel withholds Palestinian tax revenues. Israel's Navy continues to harass Gaza fishermen, even within the 3-mile limit in which they are supposedly allowed to operate. Der Spiegel reports that Dolphin submarines being purchased by Israel from Germany will be equipped with Popeye missiles that can carry nuclear warheads. An Israeli military investigation finds that settlers tied up and beat a captured Palestinian. Khaled Mishaal reportedly withdraws his pledge not to run and will stand for another term as head of Hamas' politburo. Palestinians in the notorious Lebanese Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp are optimistic for a better future. COMMENTARY: Ha'aretz says Netanyahu's approach to the Ulpana outpost is "adding insult to injury." Yossi Verter says Netanyahu seems to be on a collision course with extremists in his coalition over some settlements. Nirit Anderman contrasts films made about water by Israelis and Palestinians. Nahum Barnea says with Netanyahu's newfound power, Israel is becoming a monarchy in the Middle Eastern tradition, not a democracy. Barry Rubin asks why it seems that large amounts of international aid to the Palestinians is missing. Susan Hattis Rolef says Israelis only seem interested in those aspects of history that affected the Jewish people. Jonathan Owen says Israel is becoming the new South Africa as calls for cultural boycotts increase. Leonard Fein says, since Israel is already a Jewish state it doesn't matter if Palestinians formally acknowledge that. Adel Safty says the biggest problem facing the peace process is that there is no Palestinian leverage or international enforcement mechanism over Israel. Alan Dershowitz says Israel should offer Palestinians a settlement freeze conditional on the resumption of negotiations focusing on borders.

Where did the PA’s money go?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Barry Rubin - (Opinion) June 3, 2012 - 12:00am


Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad says that his regime is short of funds. And meanwhile a reader asks me: “Can you please explain to me why 20 years after Oslo and billions in dollars in foreign aid, the Palestinian Authority still has not built modern hospitals? Or rather, why do the donor countries pour money down the PA drain without expecting even some face-saving results?” Good question. Short answer: Swiss bank accounts.


A Settlement Freeze Can Advance Israeli-Palestinian Peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Wall Street Journal
by Alan Dershowitz - (Opinion) June 3, 2012 - 12:00am


Now that Israel has a broad and secure national unity government, the time is ripe for that government to make a bold peace offer to the Palestinian Authority.


The peace process comes to an end
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
by Adel Safty - (Opinion) June 4, 2012 - 12:00am


One of the most remarkable talents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel is his ability to “influence” American public opinion as he once bragged to a family of colonists, unaware that he was being filmed.



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