Palestinians irate over new Jerusalem tram ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Karin Laub - January 29, 2010 - 1:00am Jerusalem's first light rail starts test runs this spring, with its sleek silver cars gliding across the city and promising to relieve the perpetual congestion. But Palestinians see no reason to celebrate. They hope to derail the $1 billion tram because they fear it will further entrench Israeli control over east Jerusalem, the part of the city they want as a capital. They've asked a French court to force two French multinationals, Veolia and Alstom, out of the project and are urging Arab countries to cancel contracts with the two companies. » Read more

Hamas: Israel assassinated operative in Dubai ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Albert Aji - January 29, 2010 - 1:00am Hamas accused Israeli agents on Friday of assassinating a veteran operative of the Palestinian militant group, saying he was electrocuted last week in a Dubai hotel room. Hamas' top leader, Khaled Mashaal, vowed to retaliate. The militant group identified the man as Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, one of the founders of Hamas' military wing that has been responsible for hundreds of deadly attacks and suicide bombings targeting Israelis since the 1980s. It said he was 50 years old. » Read more

Best of 2009 unveiled in Ramallah ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency January 27, 2010 - 1:00am Results of Ma'an Network's annual poll on leading figures and organizations were announced at a celebration attended by political, factional, social, public and media figures in Ramallah on Wednesday evening. Ma'an general director Raed Othman thanked attendees and those who voted. He said an estimated 32 percent of Internet users in the occupied Palestinian territories participated in the poll, the largest such survey ever conducted. Results » Read more

Obama: US backs Israel, sympathizes with Palestinians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency January 29, 2010 - 1:00am US President Barack Obama said on Thursday that the United States would always ensure Israel's security but that Washington must also pay attention to the plight of the Palestinians. The president, speaking at a town-hall meeting on various issues, was responding to a question about why, if the US truly supports human rights, it has not called out Israel and Egypt for abuses against Palestinians, apparently in reference to the blockade of Gaza. » Read more

Hamas: PA must return to unity talks before Israel peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency January 29, 2010 - 1:00am Hamas warned of "dangerous consequences" if Palestinian Authority officials return to peace talks with Israel, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum told reporters Friday. President Mahmoud Abbas was the explicit target of the warning, and was told of the danger of returning to peace talks with Israel before Palestinian unity is achieved, as US pressure to return to negotiations mounts. Hamas distributed the statement to journalists on Friday, saying the party considered negotiations with Israel as a dangerous confiscation of Palestinian rights and a denial of justice for the people. » Read more

Why Hamas is denying it targeted civilians in Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Erin Cunningham - January 28, 2010 - 1:00am Ahead of a looming deadline for Israel and Hamas to respond to war crimes charges in the UN-sponsored Goldstone report, Human Rights Watch (HRW) hit back today at a claim made by Hamas earlier this week that its fighters did not commit war crimes in its three-week war with Israel last winter. Instead, said Hamas, its fighters struck civilian areas in Israel “by mistake” when launching rockets at the country’s military installations. » Read more

'Avatar' and the Palestinian blues ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Batsheva Sobelman - (Blog) January 28, 2010 - 1:00am "Avatar" may be rocking the box office, but it's rocking the casbah too, getting people to ask who's who with the blues and who exactly are the meanies in Israel. This week, a screening of "Avatar" erupted into a small ruckus in a suburb when one moviegoer loudly announced that the Palestinians should learn from this movie what to do to the Jews, causing a commotion and angering others in the audience. » Read more

Israel Signals Tougher Line on West Bank Protests ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - January 28, 2010 - 1:00am For more than a year, this village has been a focus of weekly protests against the Israeli security barrier, which cuts through its lands. Now, the village appears to be at the center of an intensifying Israeli arrest campaign. Apparently concerned that the protests could spread, the Israeli Army and security forces have recently begun clamping down, arresting scores of local organizers and activists here and conducting nighttime raids on the homes of others. » Read more

Palestinians working with Mitchell toward talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press January 28, 2010 - 1:00am Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad says conditions aren't yet right to return to peace talks with Israel but that the Palestinians are working with U.S. envoy George Mitchell on ways to break the deadlock. Fayyad, in an interview with The Associated Press at the World Economic Forum, said Mitchell and the Palestinians "are working on trying to get talks restarted." » Read more