March 29th

Arab democratic change can only help Palestinians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons (Interview) March 28, 2011 - 12:00am An interview with Samir Abdullah bitterlemons: How do you see changes in the Arab world, particularly in Egypt, affecting the Palestinian-Israeli peace process? Abdullah: I strongly believe that what is good for the Arab people is good for the Palestinian people. So, if these changes lead to real democracies and an end to an era of bad governance and corruption, this definitely will reflect positively on the Palestinian people and on their drive for statehood and independence. This is in the medium and long run. » Read more

Op-Ed: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict On Back Burner ATFP World Press Roundup Article from National Public Radio (NPR) (Interview) March 28, 2011 - 12:00am Almost unnoticed amid the flood of news from the Middle East, fighting has resumed across Israel's border with Gaza. Hamas launched mortar bombs and rockets, and there was a suicide attack in Jerusalem, the first in four years. Israel responded with airstrikes. And if that sounds old hat, argues Aaron David Miller in Foreign Policy magazine, that's because it is. Miller argues that events in the Arab world have moved the Israeli-Palestinian issue firmly to the backburner. » Read more

Op-Ed: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict On Back Burner ATFP World Press Roundup Article from National Public Radio (NPR) (Interview) March 28, 2011 - 12:00am Almost unnoticed amid the flood of news from the Middle East, fighting has resumed across Israel's border with Gaza. Hamas launched mortar bombs and rockets, and there was a suicide attack in Jerusalem, the first in four years. Israel responded with airstrikes. And if that sounds old hat, argues Aaron David Miller in Foreign Policy magazine, that's because it is. Miller argues that events in the Arab world have moved the Israeli-Palestinian issue firmly to the backburner. » Read more

Israeli official: Decision next month on final approval for 1,500 east Jerusalem apartments ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press March 29, 2011 - 12:00am An Israeli official says the government will decide next month whether to give final approval for 1,500 new housing units in Jewish enclaves in disputed east Jerusalem. Roi Lachmanovich's announcement Tuesday draws new spotlight on the controversial issue. An approval would further distance prospects for restarting Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Israeli construction in east Jerusalem is contentious because Palestinians want the area for their future capital. Israel annexed the territory after capturing it in 1967. » Read more

March 28th

Israel’s problem is the settlements, not J Street ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Carlo Strenger - (Opinion) March 25, 2011 - 12:00am The Netanyahu government’s refusal to meet with the leadership of J Street during its visit this week reflects a deep and truly worrying process, in which Israel’s government and the Knesset are progressively locked into a deep bunker with no communication with the outside world. The assumption is that J Street creates a problem for Israel, and that if Israel delegitimizes J Street, the problem will go away. » Read more

Mighty Israel and its quest to quash Palestinian popular protest ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - (Opinion) March 28, 2011 - 12:00am "Now that Abdullah Abu Rahma has been released from jail, the Israeli soldiers and the honorable military tribunal judges will have time for Bassem Tamimi." Thus Tamimi, the coordinator of Nabi Saleh's Popular Committee, was introduced to guests who came to congratulate Bil'in resident Abu Rahma on his release after serving 16 months on charges of incitement and organizing illegal demonstrations. Twenty-four hours later, late Thursday morning, Tamimi was arrested. » Read more

New bill takes aim at leftist groups ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Roni Sofer - March 28, 2011 - 12:00am Right-wing MKs launched a new attack against leftist organizations Monday with a bill limiting their right to petition the High Court of Justice. MKs Danny Danon and Yariv Levin from the Likud Party explain that the bill, which is aimed at preventing court rulings from exacting influence in the name of organizations that have no direct connection to the matters at hand, government policy, or the Knesset. » Read more

Arab peace initiative is another missed opportunity for Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) March 28, 2011 - 12:00am Once again, Jerusalem is "closely monitoring" the squabble at the neighbors' - this time, in the form of the bloody clashes in Syria. Is the fall of President Bashar Assad good for the Jews? Could religious extremists replace the minority Alawite regime? What will happen to the separation of forces agreement on the Golan Heights? What will be the new regime's policy concerning a negotiated end to the Arab-Israeli conflict? How will the political furor affect Syria's intimate relations with Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah? » Read more

Settler jailed for assaulting Palestinian teen ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Aviad Glickman - March 27, 2011 - 12:00am The Jerusalem District Court sentenced Zvi Struck, a 28-year-old resident of the Shilo settlement, to 18 months in prison for kidnapping and abusing a 15-year-old Palestinian boy. Struck was convicted on the charges of aggravated battery, kidnapping with intention to injure, causing damage and three counts of assault. In addition to the prison term, the court sentenced him to one year of probation, and ordered him to pay the victim NIS 50,000 ($14,100) in compensation. » Read more

Two Palestinians killed in Israeli strike in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua March 27, 2011 - 12:00am Another Palestinian died on Sunday hours after being wounded in an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza Strip, which had killed one of his colleagues and injured two others, witnesses and medical sources said. The 26-year-old Palestinian had spent half an hour at the hospital's morgue before people found he was still breathing and took him back to the operation room. He died shortly afterwards. Israeli pilotless drones had fired a missile at a car carrying activists, killing one on the spot, wounding one seriously and two others moderately. » Read more