Study: Nonregistered Palestinian refugees are impoverished, marginalized and vulnerable ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Simona Sikimic - July 6, 2011 - 12:00am U.N. service provision to the 17,000 estimated nonregistered Palestinian refugees in Lebanon has improved in recent years but too many of the “most vulnerable of the already vulnerable” continue to suffer from poor and patchy service provision, according to a report released Tuesday. The Danish Refugee Council study, “Incomplete Entitlement,” reveals that despite 80 percent of non-registered refugees reporting access to at least one U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) service, the average adult lives on $2.7 a day. » Read more

A Palestinian View: The consensus was positive ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons (Interview) July 4, 2011 - 12:00am an interview with Hanna Amireh bitterlemons: When the Palestine Liberation Organization decided last week to go ahead with its plan to seek statehood at the United Nations, was there great discussion about the issue? Amireh: The meeting decided on a general direction of seeking recognition of the Palestinian state on the borders of 1967, first at the Security Council and also at the General Assembly. Of course, there was a discussion and different positions presented, but the general consensus was to support the move. bitterlemons: Was there a discussion of the risks involved? » Read more

Jewish approval of Obama unaffected by Israel tensions, poll shows ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) July 5, 2011 - 12:00am President Obama's status among American Jews remains unaffected despite recent tensions with Israel's government, according to a Gallup Poll. Obama's approval rating among U.S. Jews was 60 percent in June, the polling company said, consistent both with earlier months. Also, Jews still consistently approved of the president's performance at an average of 14 percentage points above the general public, Gallup said in its release Tuesday. Obama's overall approval rating in June was 46 percent. » Read more

Heated debate over Palestinian prisoners in Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News by Yolande Knell - July 6, 2011 - 12:00am The entrance to the Abu Jihad Museum for the Prisoners' Movement closely resembles a jail. Step inside the revolving steel door topped by barbed wire and you stand behind bars that surround the ticket desk. Exhibits at the site, in the West Bank town of Abu Dis near Jerusalem, tell the stories of Palestinian political prisoners from the British Mandate period to modern-day Israel. Palestinians have come to view their experience of detention, for actions that oppose the occupation of their land, as part of their national identity. » Read more

Sabotaging Freedom Flotilla II ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Jazeera English by Richard Falk - (Opinion) July 2, 2011 - 12:00am The reports that two of the foreign flagged ships planning to be part of the ten vessel Freedom Flotilla II experienced similar forms of disabling sabotage creates strong circumstantial evidence of Israeli responsibility. » Read more

UN: Israel used unnecessary force against protesters on Nakba Day ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - July 6, 2011 - 12:00am A new report of United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is highly critical of Israel for its handling of incidents on the border with Lebanon on May 15 - Nakba Day. It concludes that the Israeli soldiers used disproportionate force against Lebanese demonstrators, which resulted in seven deaths. In Israel there is great anger at the UN special coordinator for Lebanon, Michael Williams, who authored the report, and the Foreign Affairs Ministry is cutting contact with him until further notice. » Read more

Boat People ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Slate by Christopher Hitchens - (Opinion) July 4, 2011 - 12:00am The tale of the Gaza "flotilla" seems set to become a regular summer feature, bobbing along happily on the inside pages with an occasional update. A nice sidebar for reporters covering the Greek debt crisis: a built-in mild tension of "will they, won't they?"; a cast of not very colorful characters but one we almost begin to feel we know personally. Such cheery and breezy slogans—"the audacity of hope" and "free Gaza"—and such an easy storyline that it practically writes itself. » Read more

Palestine UN membership a debate for Council in July ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Alertnet by Megan Davies - July 6, 2011 - 12:00am The U.N. Security Council plans to discuss in July the possibility of Palestine becoming a United Nations member state, the Security Council president said on Tuesday. The Arab League has said it would request U.N. membership for a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital at the U.N. General Assembly in September. An open debate on the Middle East has been scheduled for July 26 according to a provisional calendar for the Security Council for July. » Read more

Analysis: Gaza flotilla a foretaste of future diplomatic furor ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Crispian Balmer - (Analysis) July 5, 2011 - 12:00am The diplomatic maneuvering that snarled the Gaza initiative pales in comparison with the behind-the-scenes tussles surrounding a unilateral drive by the Palestinians to secure United Nations' recognition of statehood this September. While Israel has won this first round, the stakes will be much higher in the months ahead, with the possibility of chaos in the Palestinian Territories if politicians mess it up. » Read more

Netanyahu orders block of pro-Palestinian 'fly-in' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Alertnet by Maayan Lubell - July 6, 2011 - 12:00am Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered authorities on Wednesday to block entry of pro-Palestinian activists planning to travel to Tel Aviv over the weekend in a protest "fly-in". Netanyahu ordered the internal security minister and the immigration authority to "act with determination, while trying to avoid unnecessary friction" with anyone taking part in what he termed a provocation, a statement from his office said. Pro-Palestinian websites have called in recent weeks on activists to fly to Israel on July 8 to protest against its policy toward Palestinians. » Read more