February 8th

Israeli conservatives attack U.S.-based philanthropy as unpatriotic ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Edmund Sanders - February 7, 2010 - 1:00am A U.S.-based philanthropy that funds human rights groups in Israel is under fire amid accusations that its recipients provided the bulk of evidence to a U.N. commission that issued a report highly critical of Israel's Gaza Strip war a year ago. Leaders of the Washington-based New Israel Fund, whose recipients include several groups that promote Palestinian rights, said Sunday that they are being unfairly targeted by conservatives in Israel seeking to silence opposing viewpoints. » Read more

Bit of a Stir as Clinton Strays From Script on Mideast Peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Mark Landler - February 4, 2010 - 1:00am With an inadvertent bit of shorthand, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton set off a buzz in diplomatic circles on Wednesday, and may have offered a glimpse into how the Obama administration hopes to revive the stalled peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Answering a question at a news conference about how the talks might be revived, Mrs. Clinton said, “Of course, we believe that the 1967 borders, with swaps, should be the focus of the negotiations over borders.” » Read more

Mixed Views of Hamas and Hezbollah in Largely Muslim Nations ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Pew Research Center February 4, 2010 - 1:00am Across predominantly Muslim nations, there is little enthusiasm for the extremist Islamic organizations Hamas and Hezbollah, although there are pockets of support for both groups, especially in the Middle East. » Read more

February 5th

In Herzliya, I Founded Palestine ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'ariv by Ben Caspit - (Opinion) February 2, 2010 - 1:00am [The title refers to a journal entry by Theodor Herzl in 1897, "In Basel I founded the Jewish state"] Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad came to Herzliya on Tuesday. Thinking that he would be participating in a panel discussion, he did not prepare a speech. Suddenly he found himself making the Palestinian "Herzliya speech." Fayyad did not become confused. He is no sucker. In fluent if nearly unintelligible English (Fayyad has a heavy accent), he laid out his doctrine: a Palestinian state within two years. On all the territory. Including East Jerusalem. That is all. » Read more

Not clear if Gaza war probes are credible-UN's Ban ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Louis Charbonneau - February 5, 2010 - 1:00am U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon cast doubt on Thursday on the credibility of Israeli and Palestinian investigations into U.N. allegations of war crimes during the 2008-2009 war in the Gaza Strip. In a cautiously worded message to the U.N. General Assembly, Ban acknowledged Israel and the Palestinian Authority were looking into the behavior of Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants as demanded by a resolution the 192-nation assembly approved in November. But Ban withheld judgment on whether the probes were "independent, credible and in conformity with international standards." » Read more

Dubai police may pursue Israel PM for Hamas killing -report ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters February 5, 2010 - 1:00am Dubai would seek the arrest of Israel's prime minister if it found evidence intelligence service Mossad was behind the killing of a senior Hamas official, its police chief said in a newspaper on Friday. Hamas has blamed Israel for killing Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, one of its top military commanders, in a Dubai hotel last month. [ID:nLDE60S075] Israel has declined to comment. Police in the United Arab Emirates have said they suspect a foreign "criminal gang" of killing Mabhouh in his hotel room, and are looking into the possible involvement of Israel's spy agency. » Read more

Gaza power plant to cease operations ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency February 5, 2010 - 1:00am The Gaza Strip's sole power plant will cease all operations late Friday night due to a lack of fuel, officials warned. The plant had already shut down services to all but 30-40 percent of the coastal strip by nightfall on Thursday, the Gaza Energy Authority said, noting that the sudden cold front in the region spent the remaining fuel faster than expected. The Energy Authority has notified mayors and municipalities across Gaza, and was informing the Health Ministry and major telecommunications companies PalTel and Jawwal to prepare for the worst. » Read more

Blockade forces Gaza to turn from modern medicine to bee stings ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Erin Cunningham - February 4, 2010 - 1:00am When the first case of swine flu hit the Gaza Strip in December, residents in this tiny, impoverished enclave flocked to local spice traders and drained merchants’ shelves of the popular medicinal herb anise. Gazans sought out the Chinese-grown plant to mix in an age-old, tea-based concoction called yansoon, which doctors here said would help prevent further outbreaks amid rumours the territory faced a shortage of the deadly flu’s traditional vaccine. Anise is a central component of the swine flu vaccine manufactured globally under the brand name Tamiflu. » Read more

Al-Haya: Changes in coming days toward achieving conciliation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency February 5, 2010 - 1:00am "There will be changes within the coming days toward achieving conciliation," said senior Hamas leader Khalil Al-Haya following a meeting with Fatah Central Committee member Nabil Sha'ath and de facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Thursday. At Haniyeh's home in the Ash-Shati Refugee Camp, Al-Haya revealed that Sha'ath and the de facto prime minister exchanged documents for review, detailing the means of overcoming recent impasses reached in the ratification of the Egyptian document, tipped to end Fatah-Hamas rivalry and restore national unity. » Read more

Doesn’t Salam Fayyad deserve more national protection? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Ayyam by Hamada Faraneh - (Opinion) February 3, 2010 - 1:00am ATFP original translation In the 2/1/2010 issue of Yediot Ahronot, Alex Fishman, known for his close ties to the Israel national security apparatus and often represents their point of view, articulated an emerging Israeli opinion. In an article entitled “Salam Fayyad: The quince turns into a bitter lemon,” Fishman writes: » Read more