March 28th

News Analysis: Israeli public views Netanyahu doing well halfway through his term ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Adam Gonn - March 27, 2011 - 12:00am A new poll published in the Israel daily Ha'aretz over the weekend says that Israelis are lukewarm about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's performance as he approaches the halfway mark of his second term. However, while the United States and the international community might be looking for progress in the peace talks with the Palestinians as a metric of Netanyahu's success, Israelis have other priorities. Analysts told Xinhua that Israelis feel the most important factors are security and the economic situation, both of which are relatively good at the moment. » Read more

PLO urges to draft Palestinian constitution ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua March 27, 2011 - 12:00am The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Sunday pushed for activating a committee to draw up a constitution for a future Palestinian state. The executive committee of the PLO, which met in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Sunday, said in a statement that the constitution should be ready during the coming six months. "This is in order to put the draft constitutions before the Palestinian legislative sides in the suitable time," the statement added. » Read more

Gaza cops use ‘beatings, stun guns’ on women reporters ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Khaled Abu Toameh - March 28, 2011 - 12:00am Hamas policemen used force to disperse the protesters, who were calling for an end to the dispute between the Islamist movement and Fatah. The rallies were part of a Facebook campaign organized by Palestinian youth on March 15. At least eight journalists were beaten by the Hamas police officers during the rallies. Some had their cameras and laptops confiscated, while others were taken into custody and made to sign a document pledging to refrain from covering such events in the future. » Read more

Impatient Palestinians eye Arab world in flux ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Mohammed Daraghmeh - March 26, 2011 - 12:00am With the peace process going nowhere, the threat of new violence increasing and the Palestinians badly divided, people in the West Bank and Gaza are surveying the rapid changes in the rest of the Arab world — and growing impatient with stagnation at home. In Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority, officials are quietly working on a plan: Going for statehood without agreement with Israel, bypassing the moribund peace process. First mooted last fall, the notion precedes the Arab revolts but has been lent even greater urgency by them. » Read more

Terrorism in Jerusalem: Escalation or independent action? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Jonathan Schachter, Yoram Schweitzer - (Opinion) March 27, 2011 - 12:00am The scene is unfortunately familiar – ambulance crews rushing toward a shattered bus, police officers establishing a safe perimeter, TV crews capturing it all and sending their reports around the country and the world. » Read more

Israel seeks Argentine clarifications over attacks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Ian Deitch - March 27, 2011 - 12:00am Israel wants clarifications from Argentina over a report it offered Iran a deal: It would stop investigating bombings on Jewish centers there in the 1990s in exchange for better trade ties, an Israeli foreign ministry official said Sunday. The Argentine paper Perfil quoted a leaked Iranian cable on Saturday detailing the offer. Eighty-five people were killed and 200 were injured when a bomb exploded in a van outside the Argentine Israeli Mutual Association on July 18, 1994 — that country's bloodiest terrorist attack. » Read more

Israel seeks Argentine clarifications over attacks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Ian Deitch - March 27, 2011 - 12:00am Israel wants clarifications from Argentina over a report it offered Iran a deal: It would stop investigating bombings on Jewish centers there in the 1990s in exchange for better trade ties, an Israeli foreign ministry official said Sunday. The Argentine paper Perfil quoted a leaked Iranian cable on Saturday detailing the offer. Eighty-five people were killed and 200 were injured when a bomb exploded in a van outside the Argentine Israeli Mutual Association on July 18, 1994 — that country's bloodiest terrorist attack. » Read more

Israel bulldozes Fayyad's Freedom Road, again ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 27, 2011 - 12:00am Israeli authorities bulldozed "Freedom Road" in the northern West Bank district of Salfit for the second time on Thursday. Freedom Road was funded by the Palestinian Authority, and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The project was part of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's plan to build institutions and infrastructure for a future Palestinian state. The road allowed Palestinian families to access their homes, schools, land and health clinics. Fayyad inaugurated the road in September 2010, but Israel's military destroyed it in November, while the prime minister was abroad. » Read more

Israel bulldozes Fayyad's Freedom Road, again ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 27, 2011 - 12:00am Israeli authorities bulldozed "Freedom Road" in the northern West Bank district of Salfit for the second time on Thursday. Freedom Road was funded by the Palestinian Authority, and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The project was part of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's plan to build institutions and infrastructure for a future Palestinian state. The road allowed Palestinian families to access their homes, schools, land and health clinics. Fayyad inaugurated the road in September 2010, but Israel's military destroyed it in November, while the prime minister was abroad. » Read more

Reality Check: Last thing we need is a 2nd round in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Jeff Barak - (Opinion) March 27, 2011 - 12:00am Let’s say Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu decides to unleash Operation Cast Lead 2 following the recent wave of rocket attacks from Gaza. » Read more