March 8th

Israeli PM: Military must remain in West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Daniel Estrin - March 7, 2011 - 1:00am Israel's prime minister declared Tuesday that his country must retain a strategic section of the West Bank under any future peace deal — a position unlikely to win Palestinians over to his reported plan to offer them a temporary state. In a rare visit to the occupied territory, Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters that Israel's security depends on maintaining a military presence in the Jordan Valley — a strip of West Bank land along the border with Jordan. Without troops there, Israel fears militants could smuggle weapons into the West Bank. » Read more

For Better or for Worse ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy by Aaron David Miller - (Editorial) March 7, 2011 - 1:00am Israelis, like most Jews, worry for a living. The dark side of Jewish history and the security challenges of their national life compel them to. And these days there's plenty to worry about. Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and turbulent changes in the Arab world unleashed by the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia are shifting the power balance against Israel. Indeed, its position in the neighborhood -- in part as a consequence of its own policies -- is growing increasingly precarious. » Read more

Palestinians make risky gambit for statehood ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Edmund Sanders - March 8, 2011 - 1:00am Palestinian leaders are embarking on a risky statehood strategy that will seek to isolate Israel's hawkish government in the international community and rely less on U.S. backing, a move that reflects growing disappointment here with the Obama administration. The campaign will include U.N. resolutions such as one proposed last month on Israeli settlement building, boycotts against Israeli products, complaints in international courts and attempts to win formal recognition from as many countries as possible, Palestinian officials say. » Read more

West Bank: Clash Over Olive Trees Leaves 8 Wounded ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - March 7, 2011 - 1:00am At least seven Palestinians were wounded by gunfire and rubber bullets in clashes with Israeli settlers and soldiers in the northern West Bank on Monday, according to a Palestinian official and the Israeli military. One settler was reported wounded after being hit by a rock. Palestinians accused the settlers of having uprooted olive trees in the area. A military spokeswoman said that settlers and soldiers opened fire after being attacked by Palestinian stone throwers. » Read more

March 7th

Israel on history’s wrong side ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News by Uri Avnery - (Opinion) March 6, 2011 - 1:00am Of all the memorable phrases uttered by Barack Obama in the last two years, the one that stuck in my mind more than any other appeared in his historic speech in Cairo in the early days of his term. » Read more

Always time for peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times (Editorial) March 7, 2011 - 1:00am Israel says that now is not the time to reach a peace deal with the Palestinians, presumably because of the turmoil that has hit several Arab countries. The time to arrive at peace is always right, and Israel should not resort, once again, to procrastination or look for reasons not to agree to peace with the Palestinians where there are none. » Read more

Israel ranked among least popular states ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews March 7, 2011 - 1:00am More than 28,000 people were polled between December of 2010 and February of this year in a survey designed to gauge attitudes towards various countries worldwide. Just 21% of those polled expressed a positive opinion of Israel, while 49% expressed a negative attitude towards the Jewish state. However dismal, the numbers are still an improvement from last year, when just 19% were pro-Israel. » Read more

Roger Waters voices support for Israel boycott ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz March 6, 2011 - 1:00am Roger Waters, founding member, vocalist and bassist of the iconic rock band 'Pink Floyd' has voiced his support for a cultural boycott of Israel. The British musician performed in Israel in 2005, ignoring calls from Palestinian rights advocates to cancel. While in Israel, Waters visited Jerusalem and Bethlehem. He was taken to the controversial separation fence in the West Bank, which he called "an appalling edifice to behold." » Read more

Palestinian with Jewish wife and IDF veteran son denied permanent visa ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yanir Yagna - March 7, 2011 - 1:00am A Palestinian man who is married to a Jewish woman and whose son served in the Israel Defense Forces was recently informed that he is ineligible for a permanent visa to live in Israel. "I can't buy a home here like a human being, I can't open a business for fear that they'll soon kick me out," said Adel Hussein, who has lived most of his life in the West Bank city of Tul Karm, but now wants to live near his son in Israel. "There is no explanation as to why they're not letting me be a permanent citizen. My son served in a combat unit - is that not total loyalty to the state?" » Read more

Barak: Mideast peace does not go against Israel's security interests ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz March 7, 2011 - 1:00am A peace agreement with the Palestinians does not stand in contradiction with Israel's security needs, Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Israel Radio on Monday, saying that immediate action needed to be taken to advance peace efforts. Barak's comments came after sources in the Prime Minister's Office said last week that the PM was considering a plan to cooperate with the Palestinians on the establishment of a Palestinian state with temporary borders, as part of an interim peace agreement with the Palestinian Authority that would be implemented immediately. » Read more