April 26th

Palestinians to probe fatal shooting
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from United Press International (UPI)
April 26, 2011 - 12:00am


Palestinian Authority military intelligence officials are investigating the fatal shooting of an Israeli worshipper in Nablus early Sunday, officials said. Ben Yosef Livnat, 24, was killed and four other Israelis wounded after Palestinian police opened fire on their vehicle as they attempted to exit Nablus after sneaking in to pray at Joseph's Tomb. The Israeli worshippers entered the city without coordinating their entry with Israel Defense Forces, Haaretz said. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak both condemned the shooting, The Jerusalem Post said.


University employees announce strike
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
April 25, 2011 - 12:00am


University employees will strike on Wednesday to demand better pay and a new council for higher education, union officials said. Employees will go to work but will be on a comprehensive strike, said spokesman of the federation of university employees' unions Mousa Ajwa. Head of the federation Amjad Barham expressed disappointment over the "indifference" of the Palestinian Council for Higher Education to employees' interests.


Palestinian Billionaire Sees Hope After Arab Spring
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Voice of America
by Luis Ramirez - April 22, 2011 - 12:00am


It is a sight one would not expect in the Israeli-occupied West Bank: An Italian villa complete with ancient Greek statues, Picassos, and manicured gardens reminiscent of Versailles. Palestinian billionaire Munib Al Masri, whose personal wealth represents about a third of the Palestinian economy, has turned his extravagant dream into reality. Al Masri invited correspondent Luis Ramirez to his lavish home near Nablus to talk about his vision for a Palestinian state. A palace on a hill overlooking Nablus, complete with authentic works of art from Europe.


Lingering PA cabinet calls for halt to settlements
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
April 25, 2011 - 12:00am


Palestinian Authority ministers convened for a weekly meeting in Ramallah Monday, despite President Mahmoud Abbas' announcement seven days prior that a new cabinet would be appointed within the week. Headed by West Bank Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who was re-appointed by the president when the cabinet was formally dissolved on February 14, caretaker ministers slammed Israel's settlement activity in Jerusalem, and ongoing excavations at the site of the Al-Aqsa mosque in the city.


Palestinian Billionaire Sees Hope After Arab Spring
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Voice of America
by Luis Ramirez - April 22, 2011 - 12:00am


It is a sight one would not expect in the Israeli-occupied West Bank: An Italian villa complete with ancient Greek statues, Picassos, and manicured gardens reminiscent of Versailles. Palestinian billionaire Munib Al Masri, whose personal wealth represents about a third of the Palestinian economy, has turned his extravagant dream into reality. Al Masri invited correspondent Luis Ramirez to his lavish home near Nablus to talk about his vision for a Palestinian state. A palace on a hill overlooking Nablus, complete with authentic works of art from Europe.


Our Kind of Realism
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy
by Aluf Benn - (Opinion) April 26, 2011 - 12:00am


Israel's ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, asserts rightly that in view of the current political upheaval, America has no better or more trustworthy friend in the Middle East than Israel. Looking at the region's strategic map, one sees mostly instability and uncertainty. Who is going to rule Egypt, Syria, and Saudi Arabia five years ahead? What will happen in Iraq if and when U.S. forces leave? And will Iran prevail as the new regional superpower under its current leadership, or will it go through regime change and return to the pro-Western camp?


Whiff of Desperation
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy
by Stephen Walt - (Opinion) April 26, 2011 - 12:00am


It is an ambassador's job to burnish his government's image; fidelity to the usual canons of logic and evidence are neither required nor expected. It is therefore unsurprising that Michael Oren's portrait of Israel as America's "ultimate ally" is a one-sided distortion of reality.


The Ultimate Ally
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy
by Michael B. Oren - (Opinion) April 26, 2011 - 12:00am


What is the definition of an American ally? On an ideological level, an ally is a country that shares America's values, reflects its founding spirit, and resonates with its people's beliefs. Tactically, an ally stands with the United States through multiple conflicts and promotes its global vision. From its location at one strategic crossroads, an ally enhances American intelligence and defense capabilities, and provides ports and training for U.S. forces. Its army is formidable and unequivocally loyal to its democratic government.


Pro-Palestinian activists prepare 15-boat Gaza aid flotilla one year after deadly Israeli raid
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
April 26, 2011 - 12:00am


Pro-Palestinian activists say a planned convoy of aid ships to the Gaza Strip will be twice as big as a similar flotilla that was raided a year ago by Israeli forces, leaving nine people dead on a Turkish boat. Organizers say they hope to depart around the May 31 anniversary of the fatal raid, but say it could happen later than that. Huseyin Oruc, a spokesman for an Islamic aid group in Turkey, said Tuesday that an international coalition of 22 non-governmental organizations plans to send 15 ships with a total of 1,500 people.


April 25th

The Wrath of Abbas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Newsweek
by Dan Ephron - (Blog) April 25, 2011 - 12:00am


We're somewhere over the Mediterranean, and Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, is trying to get inside the head of Barack Obama. "We knew him before he became president," he's saying, struggling to understand what happened to the man who had seemed more sympathetic to the Palestinian cause than any of his predecessors. "We knew him and he was very receptive." Around us, Abbas's closest aides are shuffling papers or typing on laptops, while his bodyguards lounge on long corduroy couches.



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