Fed-up Palestinians turn from US to find other providers of answers ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Omar Karmi, Hugh Naylor - March 31, 2011 - 12:00am With the American administration consumed by popular uprisings sweeping the Middle East and North Africa, US efforts to push forward a Palestinian-Israeli peace process, already stalled, have receded further into the background. Palestinians, despondent with Washington's efforts, are in turn trying to energise their pursuit of alternatives to their overreliance on US meditation. In the process, the Palestinians risk angering not only Israel, but also the US, which remains an important donor to the Palestinian Authority. » Read more

Netanyahu digs his grave ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) March 31, 2011 - 12:00am The Arab tsunami that has come in the wake of the Arab spring that saw the downfall of two autocratic regimes in Tunisia and Egypt is still blowing hard in other Arab countries, especially in Libya, where the days of its hallucinating ruler Muammar Gaddafi are believed to be numbered. What has been equally agonising has been the failure, if not refusal, of western governments to help correct this tragic Arab course. But then it can be argued that most western nations have benefited from this lackadaisical situation in various Arab states. » Read more

Next, an Israeli-Palestinian Peace Plan ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Bernard Avishai - (Opinion) March 29, 2011 - 12:00am Last night, rejecting criticism of his actions in Libya, President Obama outlined a standard for civilized multilateralism: “Sometimes, the course of history poses challenges that threaten our common humanity and common security,” he said. “Real leadership creates the conditions and coalitions for others to step up as well; to work with allies and partners ... to see that the principles of justice and human dignity are upheld by all.” If you should act, act where you can, and act together. » Read more

Militants Put Gazans in Danger, Group Says ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Fares Akram - March 30, 2011 - 12:00am A Palestinian human rights group in Gaza took the unusual step this week of condemning the building and storage of anti-Israel rockets in densely populated areas, a practice that has led to injuries and deaths of civilians. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights said that it had investigated recent rocket explosions and found that locally produced projectiles had fallen on homes in Gaza or exploded in factories where they were made or stored. Shrapnel severely wounded several people, including a 22-year-old woman and her 7-month-old baby. » Read more

Militants Put Gazans in Danger, Group Says ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Fares Akram - March 30, 2011 - 12:00am A Palestinian human rights group in Gaza took the unusual step this week of condemning the building and storage of anti-Israel rockets in densely populated areas, a practice that has led to injuries and deaths of civilians. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights said that it had investigated recent rocket explosions and found that locally produced projectiles had fallen on homes in Gaza or exploded in factories where they were made or stored. Shrapnel severely wounded several people, including a 22-year-old woman and her 7-month-old baby. » Read more

March 30th

Peace process between Israel, Palestinians ambiguous ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Emad Drimly, Osama Radi - March 30, 2011 - 12:00am In recent days, the political threats between Israel and the Palestinians have mounted as the two sides are far away from the negotiation table due to complicated differences that made the future between them ambiguous. Although the United States had repeatedly attempted to bring the two sides together, the disputes over Jewish settlement still an obstacle before resuming the talks, which the Palestinians applied to the UN Security Council to condemn and finally vetoed by the U.S.. » Read more

Netanyahu has time for excuses, but not for peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Aluf Benn - (Opinion) March 30, 2011 - 12:00am Some people collect stamps or butterflies, some people grow orchids, others go skydiving or surfing. What Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu like to do is stay at luxury hotels at the expense of others. It's their hobby. Less dangerous than bungee jumping, less cruel than partridge hunting, less kinky than trading partners with other couples. At worst, they harm the environment by getting too much dry cleaning done. » Read more

Israel police, settlers clash at West Bank outpost ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua March 30, 2011 - 12:00am Israeli police arrested nine Jewish settlers in a violent scuffle at a West Bank outpost late Tuesday night, local media reported on Wednesday. Israeli police officers claimed to have been attacked at Givat Ronen, south of Nablus, when they attempted to carry out an arrest warrant issued against a resident. Some people hurled stones at the squad cars, breaking their windows and slashing tires, police said. In response, police fired tear gas to disperse the civilians. » Read more

UN chief: Israel's occupation is 'morally, politically unsustainable' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz March 30, 2011 - 12:00am United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on Israel Wednesday to halt settlement building in the West Bank and put a stop to all forms of violence and incitement, the UN News Center reported. Speaking in Uruguay at the UN Latin American and Caribbean Meeting in support of Middle East peace Ban said it was a "crucial time" for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. » Read more

Palestinians to ask UN recognition in September ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua March 30, 2011 - 12:00am The Palestinian leadership will ask the United Nations to recognize the Palestinian state in September despite Israeli objection, Foreign Affairs Minister Riad al-Maliki said Wednesday. The Palestinians will ask the U.N. Security Council to recognize an independent Palestinian state on the lands that Israel occupied in the 1967 war, al-Maliki was quoted by local Al- Ayyam newspaper as saying. » Read more