March 9th

Israel imposes West Bank closure during festival ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press March 9, 2009 - 12:00am The Israeli military has imposed a three-day closure on the West Bank, banning Palestinians from entering Israel during a Jewish festival. The military says the closure began early Monday and will last through the Purim holiday, ending at midnight Wednesday. The military says exceptions will be made for Palestinians needing urgent medical care and in other humanitarian cases. Israel's military considers Jewish festivals likely times for Palestinian attacks and regularly imposes such closures. » Read more

Hamas's popularity rises after Israel's Gaza war ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters March 9, 2009 - 12:00am Hamas's popularity among Palestinians has risen sharply since a three-week Israeli war in January devastated the Islamist-ruled Gaza Strip, an opinion poll released Monday showed. If an election were held today, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh would beat Mahmoud Abbas, the Western-backed Palestinian president and leader of Fatah who advocates a peace deal with Israel. » Read more

Israel annexing East Jerusalem, says EU ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Rory McCarthy - March 7, 2009 - 1:00am A confidential EU report accuses the Israeli government of using settlement expansion, house demolitions, discriminatory housing policies and the West Bank barrier as a way of "actively pursuing the illegal annexation" of East Jerusalem. The document says Israel has accelerated its plans for East Jerusalem, and is undermining the Palestinian Authority's credibility and weakening support for peace talks. "Israel's actions in and around Jerusalem constitute one of the most acute challenges to Israeli-Palestinian peace-making," says the document, EU Heads of Mission Report on East Jerusalem. » Read more

Desert’s Sand and Rocks Become Precious Resources in West Bank Dispute ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - March 6, 2009 - 1:00am Boulders the size of compact cars are carved out here at a vast quarry near Bethlehem and pushed noisily through grinders, producing gravel and sand that go into apartment buildings in this rapidly growing Israeli settlement and all across Israel itself. The land of the West Bank is, of course, disputed. Israel occupies it, and the Palestinians want it for a future state. But more and more of it is gone — quarried by Israeli companies and sold for building materials, a practice that is the focus of a new legal challenge. » Read more

Palestinian Prime Minister to Resign ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press March 7, 2009 - 1:00am The Palestinian prime minister said Saturday he submitted his resignation in a move that could help usher in a power-sharing deal between Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas and his rivals in the militant group Hamas. Salam Fayyad's resignation was meant to be a goodwill gesture toward Hamas, but the group's officials dismissed the announcement, saying Fayyad's appointment and time in office has been unconstitutional. » Read more

March 6th

Pots of urine, feces on the walls - how IDF troops vandalized Gaza homes ATFP World Press Roundup Article from by Amira Hass - March 6, 2009 - 1:00am We had already visited this house, belonging to the Abu Eida family. It is the only one of the family's nine large houses that remained standing at the eastern edge of the city of Jabalya following Operation Cast Lead. The demolition of the family's houses and its four cement factories spells the loss of 40 years of hard work. » Read more

Putting hope on the horizon ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz March 6, 2009 - 1:00am On a recent visit to a Cairo hospital to meet children wounded in the recent Israeli operation in Gaza, I talked with 10-year-old Riad, who was recovering from serious injuries caused by an Israeli missile. Replying to my question about what he plans to do after he recovers and returns to Gaza, he said his goal is to study telecom engineering, in order to work in telecommunications. In addition to his own injuries, Riad lost several family members. Nonetheless, what he dreams of is a job and peace - not revenge. » Read more

Congressmen try to restrict Gaza funds ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Allison Hoffman - March 5, 2009 - 1:00am US lawmakers are seeking restrictions on US funding for $900 million in proposed reconstruction and humanitarian aid for the Palestinians over concerns that the money might wind up in the hands of terrorist groups. Sources on Capitol Hill told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday that negotiations over restrictions could complicate the process and potentially delay getting aid to organizations on the ground. » Read more

Lieberman demanding 'full autonomy' as foreign minister ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Mazal Mualem - March 6, 2009 - 1:00am Avigdor Lieberman, who Thursday emerged as the most likely candidate to replace Tzipi Livni as Israel's foreign minister, intends to demand that Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu grants him "full autonomy" in the new post, Haaretz has learned. Lieberman, who heads the country's third largest party, Yisrael Beiteinu, met with prime minister-designate Netanyahu Thursday at the Knesset. Neither party leader divulged information about the meeting or the issues discussed. » Read more

Report: Hamas demands Islamic Jihad stop launching ATFP World Press Roundup Article from World Peace Herald by Ali Waked - March 5, 2009 - 1:00am Hamas has asked Islamic Jihad operatives to stop firing rockets at Israel, Palestinian sources told Ynet on Thursday. Five rockets were fired on the western Negev from Gaza, following an IDF aerial strike that killed three Palestinian terrorists near Kissufim. According to reports, Hamas is trying to convince the Islamic Jihad to cease rocket fire, on the grounds that doing so while ceasefire negotiations are in progress gives Israel an excuse to escalate military operations and undermine the relative quiet of the past several days. » Read more