March 7th

Fatah mourns death of Venezuela's Chavez ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 6, 2013 - 1:00am A top Fatah leader expressed Palestine's condolences early Wednesday after learning of the death of Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez. “Palestine says good bye to a loyal friend who passionately defended our right to freedom and self determination. His contribution to the cause of dignity had no borders and reached the hearts and minds of the Arab World,” Nabil Shaath said in an emailed statement. » Read more

Netanyahu’s violent fingerprint ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Gideon Levy - March 7, 2013 - 1:00am Benjamin Netanyahu’s children attacked an Arab cleaning man on the seaside promenade in Tel Aviv and caused him serious injuries. They attacked an Arab waiter in a Tel Aviv restaurant with chairs and their fists. They attacked an Arab from Upper Nazareth at the shore of Lake Kinneret because they heard him speaking Arabic. Netanyahu’s children waved hate-filled signs against Muslim players of the Beitar Jerusalem soccer team and set fire to its clubhouse. » Read more

Abbas Offers Condolences to Venezuela over Chavez's Death ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Palestine News Network March 7, 2013 - 1:00am On Wednesday 7th March, President Mahmoud Abbas mourned the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and offered his condolences to the Venezuelan people and government on behalf of the Palestinians, Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported. Abbas said, in a statement, that the Palestinians had lost a friend who passionately defended their right to freedom. » Read more

Israel arrests 2 Palestinians in West Bank raids ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 7, 2013 - 1:00am The Israeli army detained at least six Palestinians from cities and towns across the occupied West Bank early Wednesday, relatives and security officials said. Soldiers raided the house of 20-year-old Walid Mohammed Ajouli in the village of Qaffin north of Tulkarem, detaining him on the scene. The detainee’s family said Walid had heart problems. An army spokeswoman said six Palestinians were detained overnight. » Read more

Egypt's tunnel closures hit Gaza builders ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Nidal al-Mughrabi - March 7, 2013 - 1:00am Business was booming for Gaza brick-maker Yasser Qreqea, until neighboring Egypt shut down smuggling tunnels across its border that were funneling arms to militants in the territory and cement and other basic goods to everyone else. Overnight the price of building materials soared in the Gaza Strip, hitting Qreqea's key customers and, industry sources said, slowing the construction of apartments, roads and houses across the enclave run by Hamas. » Read more

Palestinian leadership not to revive peace talks before Obama's visit: official ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua March 6, 2013 - 1:00am The Palestinian leadership has no intentions to revive peace talks with Israel ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama's Middle East trip this month, a Palestinian official said Wednesday. "The Palestinian-U.S. contacts to prepare for Obama's visit were limited to explaining the Palestinian position and the requirements of resuming peace process," said Mohammed Ishteya, a member of the Palestinian negotiating team. » Read more

INSIGHT-Palestinian street boils at plight of prisoners ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Noah Browning - March 7, 2013 - 1:00am In a sprawling Israeli prison, Palestinian activist Hassan Karajeh sat through a hurried court hearing in a language he didn't understand under the authority of a military occupation he and his people reject. The translator in the cramped portacabin-turned-courtroom seldom bothered to relay the military judge's words, and the tall, bearded detainee spent most of the time whispering to his family and blowing kisses to his young fianc?e. » Read more

Hamas's ban on women running Gaza marathon is a missed opportunity ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Nabila Ramdani - March 6, 2013 - 1:00am Anyone who takes part in a long-distance run knows there will be plenty of problems to overcome, but the Gaza marathon was always going to be in an endurance class of its own. When I registered for this year's race, my concerns were certainly less about my personal training schedule than about global conflict. The length of the blighted Palestinian territory is slightly shorter than the 26 miles and 385 yards required for an official marathon course, making its densely packed population particularly vulnerable to military action by its neighbour Israel. » Read more

East Jerusalem woman wounded by Israeli Border Police fire ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - March 6, 2013 - 1:00am An East Jerusalem woman sustained a serious injury to her jaw last week from a foam-tipped plastic bullet fired by a Border Police officer in an incident whose particulars are in dispute. According to a police spokesman the incident, in the East Jerusalem village of Silwan, began when one young woman was arrested by the Border Police. He said residents began throwing rocks at the arresting officers from nearby rooftops, in response to which “the forces fired three foam-tipped bullets.” But residents insist that no rocks were thrown at the officers. » Read more

Palestinians: Protester dies of wounds ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press March 7, 2013 - 1:00am The family of a Palestinian man who was shot in the head two weeks ago by Israeli troops says he has died of his wounds. Palestinians say the 22-year-old Mohammed Asfour was struck in the head by a rubber-coated bullet during an anti-Israel demonstration in the West Bank on Feb. 22. The crowd had been demonstrating in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners held by Israel when clashes erupted. Asfour's cousin, Thaer Shalatwa, says his skull was fractured and he had been suffering from bleeding in the brain. » Read more