March 18th

A way out for Netanyahu ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Aluf Benn - March 18, 2009 - 12:00am Benjamin Netanyahu has a problem. The diplomatic scene is closing in on him from all directions and he is beginning his tenure as a suspect in the eyes of the international community. The bad memories of the past decade, the statements he made during the election campaign, his opposition to a Palestinian state and what appears to be his inclination toward a right-wing government have strengthened his image as an extreme conservative who insists on going against views accepted around the world. The proposed appointment of Avigdor Lieberman as foreign minister only bolsters this image. » Read more

Who are the deadly terrorists Israel refuses to release for Shalit? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - March 18, 2009 - 12:00am Egyptian-brokered negotiations over a deal for the release of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit hit an impasse this weekend after Israel refused to free all 450 long-serving Palestinian prisoners sought by Hamas. Negotiator Ofer Dekel told cabinet members on Tuesday that Israel has agreed to release about 325 prisoners on the list, 144 of whom would be sent abroad or to the Gaza Strip. The others would be allowed to return to their homes. » Read more

Hamas Not Budging in Negotiations ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press March 18, 2009 - 12:00am An opening of Gaza's blockaded borders, access to billions of dollars in foreign aid, a popularity boost — Hamas would have much to gain by working out a prisoner swap with Israel and a power-sharing arrangement with its West Bank rivals. Instead, the Islamic militants have been clinging to their demands and displaying a stubbornness that would seem irrational considering the enormous stakes. Hamas apparently believes that time is on its side and that its adversaries — Israel, moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the West — will eventually fold. » Read more

Why did Fayyad resign? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Avi Issacharoff - March 16, 2009 - 12:00am A few days after Salam Fayyad's surprising announcement of his resignation, the Palestinian prime minister convened senior journalists in his office in Ramallah. For three and a half hours he laid out his "credo" regarding the peace process with Israel and explained his decision to resign by the end of March. A single motif stood out in all of Fayyad's remarks: pessimism. » Read more

March 17th

Obama Rebuffs Israeli Hawk ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Nation by Robert Dreyfuss - March 17, 2009 - 12:00am There are very worrying signs about Israel and Iran, amid new threats from Israeli officials that they won't long tolerate Iran's nuclear program before they strike militarily. But, at the same time, there are reports that President Obama's national security team isn't buying the Israeli line that time is running out. For instance, a top Israeli military official, in Washington, was not exactly given the red carpet treatment by Obama's top officials -- yet even so, he met Jim Jones, Obama's national security adviser, Hillary Clinton, and Dennis Ross. » Read more

Israel: Netanyahu still hopes to attract moderates ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Matti Friedman - March 17, 2009 - 12:00am Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu still hopes to persuade moderates to join his government as the deadline for forming a new coalition approaches, a spokeswoman said Tuesday. Netanyahu prefers a broad coalition alongside moderate partners to his other option, a narrow and unstable coalition of hard-line parties that could find it difficult to govern and draw the displeasure of the international community by rejecting the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. » Read more

Murky Palestinian group says it's behind shooting ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Ian Deitch - March 17, 2009 - 12:00am An obscure Palestinian militant group is claiming responsibility for a West Bank attack that killed two Israeli police officers this week. But Israeli and Palestinian security officials are casting doubt on the claim. Sunday's shooting was the first fatal attack in the West Bank in nearly a year. The Martyrs of Imad Mughniyeh says it was behind the shooting. The group is named after an assassinated Hezbollah mastermind. It also has claimed responsibility for previous assaults, including a shooting at a Jewish seminary that killed eight students last year. » Read more

Israel's national security aide barred from U.S. ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Times by Eli Lake - March 17, 2009 - 12:00am Uzi Arad, who is expected to serve as national security adviser in the next Israeli government, has been barred from entering the United States for nearly two years on the grounds that he is an intelligence risk. Mr. Arad, a former member and director of intelligence for the Mossad, Israel's spy service, is mentioned in the indictment of Lawrence Franklin, a former Pentagon analyst who pleaded guilty in 2005 to providing classified information about Iran in a conversation with two employees of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). » Read more

Abbas: Hamas-Fatah talks doomed to fail ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ali Waked - March 17, 2009 - 12:00am The Egyptian-mediated reconciliation talks between the rival Palestinian factions appear to be on the brink of collapse, Palestinian sources told Ynet on Tuesday. According to the sources, Fatah and Hamas remain in disagreement over the establishment of a unity government, elections, and the make up of the security forces and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). In light of the disputes, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has estimated that the negotiations, being held in Cairo, will fail. » Read more

Injured American Is 'Semi-Conscious' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Howard Schneider - March 17, 2009 - 12:00am An American injured last week during a demonstration near the West Bank village of Naalin remains in critical condition, still heavily sedated but breathing on his own, a hospital official said Monday. Tristan Anderson, 37, was struck in the head Friday by a tear gas canister fired by an Israeli soldier during a Friday afternoon protest over the construction of an Israeli security barrier. "A full investigation will ensue," the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. » Read more