Netanyahu at Mimouna: We will continue developing in Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Nir Hasson - April 6, 2010 - 12:00am Some two million Israeli Jews will participate today in Mimouna, the traditional Moroccan festival marking the end of Passover, according to the World Federation of Moroccan Jewry. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara celebrated Mimouna with the Fahima family in Or Akiva, where Netanyahu said "We will continue developing in the north and the south, and certainly in Jerusalem." Federation chairman Sam Sheetrit said the group would like to see less of a focus on food as the central aspect of the holiday. » Read more

Blogger Visits ATFP Office ATFP World Press Roundup Article from (Blog) April 5, 2010 - 12:00am This past Saturday my husband Jaffar and I had a delightful visit with Dr. Ziad Asali the founder of the American Task Force on Palestine, his fascinating wife Naila, and the brilliant Hussein Ibish, having arranged to stop by to see their 7th floor offices in Washington DC and to have a chat. » Read more

Four Gaza factions halt rocket fire, in bow to Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amos Harel, Avi Issacharoff - April 6, 2010 - 12:00am Four Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip will cease firing Qassam rockets at Israel, they announced on Monday. The move followed significant pressure from Hamas on the three smaller factions - Islamic Jihad and the Popular and Democratic Fronts for the Liberation of Palestine. Hamas has controlled the territory since the summer of 2007. It failed to persuade small, break-away groups to adhere to the cease-fire. Palestinian sources said the announcedment followed a meeting Saturday of representatives of the four factions. » Read more

Lieberman: Erdogan turning into Gaddafi ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Roni Sofer - April 6, 2010 - 12:00am Iran is heading towards a nuclear bomb, Turkey continues to verbally attack Israel, the Palestinians are threatening to declare a state and US President Barack Obama is demanding to control construction in Jerusalem. But Foreign Minister Avgidor Lieberman remains optimistic, despite all of these plagues. "We’ve weathered Pharaoh, we'll overcome this period as well," he told Ynet on Monday evening. "Those who fought for independence and for the State's existence must stand up to pressure. There is no alternative." » Read more

Jordan King: Israel's long-term future is in jeopardy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz April 6, 2010 - 12:00am Jordanian King Abdullah has warned that Israel's long-term future would remain in jeopardy unless a permanent solution to the Middle East conflict was achieved, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. "I think the long-term future of Israel is in jeopardy unless we solve our problems," Abdullah told the paper in an interview that appeared online Tuesday. The Jordanian monarch, who is scheduled to arrive to Washington on Saturday to attend President Barack Obama's Nuclear Security Summit, cautioned against "wasting too much time" in resolving the conflict in the region. » Read more

IDF: Palestinian who died was not held up at checkpoint ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Hanan Greenberg - April 6, 2010 - 12:00am An IDF investigation determined that the 63-year-old Palestinian who died of dehydration and cardiac arrest on Saturday after waiting for several hours at an army checkpoint in the Jordan Valley was not delayed by soldiers manning the checkpoint. The army claims that Muhammad Alian, from the West Bank village of Deir Abu De'if, arrived at the checkpoint without an identification card and was not forced to wait there. » Read more

Israel: Erdogan, don’t become Chavez ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Herb Keinon - April 6, 2010 - 12:00am Israel, in a sharply worded response to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s latest rhetorical slam, advised him on Monday night “not to turn into another extreme leader such as Hugo Chavez.” Erdogan should not try to integrate his country into the Arab world at Israel’s expense, a Foreign Ministry official said, in a rare direct response to one of Erdogan’s now almost routine attacks on Israel. » Read more

PLO: Israel approves 3,226 houses in Jerusalem in March ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua April 5, 2010 - 12:00am Israel approved the construction of a total of 3,226 homes for Jews in the disputed East Jerusalem in March, a report by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) said on Monday. The biggest projects involved the building of 1,600 housing units in Ramat Shlomo settlement and another 600 homes in a nearby settlement, the report said. Moreover, Jerusalem municipality has drawn up plans and is waiting an approval to build 50,000 houses in the comings months, according to the report. » Read more

EU pays 21 million euros for PNA servants' salaries ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua April 6, 2010 - 12:00am The European Union announced on Monday that it provided the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) with 21 million euros to pay the salaries of working and retired civil servants in the West Bank and Gaza. Christian Burger, the EU representative in Ramallah said in a press release e-mailed to reporters that around 85,000 Palestinian employees would get their salaries for March paid. "The 21 million Euros are part of a European agreement reached with the Palestinian side to pay 158.5 million euros to the Palestinian National Authority during the year 2010," said Burger. » Read more

New Barrier To Be Constructed Along Israel-Egypt Border ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Nathan Jeffay - April 5, 2010 - 12:00am Seven years after starting work on the controversial West Bank security barrier, Israel has decided to build another barrier — along its border with Egypt. In March, the Cabinet approved a plan to seal Israel’s southwest border, which is currently secured by only patrols and monitoring devices. Egypt has not raised any objection. » Read more