March 4th

Hamas to present new reconciliation plan ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 4, 2011 - 1:00am A political advisor to Prime Minster Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza says Hamas will present an initiative within the coming days on its government shakeup and rejection of Salam Fayyad's unity government. Yousef Rezqa told Ma'an that "Hamas, with all of its departments, is considering presenting this initiative to the Palestinians," saying it would "go into detail on what is obstructing the internal situation." » Read more

Witnesses: Airstrike targets central Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 4, 2011 - 1:00am sraeli warplanes struck a car in central Gaza Friday morning causing no injuries, witnesses said. Locals said Israeli fighter jets fired two missiles near the An-Nuseirat refugee camp, destroying a jeep belonging to a resistance fighter. Many Israeli drones were hovering over Gaza at the time of the raid, residents said. An Israeli military spokeswoman was not immediately familiar with the attack.

Israel mulls interim peace plan ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Yahoo News by Laura Rozen - (Blog) March 3, 2011 - 1:00am Amid the stalled Middle East peace process, the Israeli government is considering proposing an interim arrangement with the Palestinians. But Palestinian leaders said they would not accept such a provisional arrangement that stops short of settling on final borders for the creation of a Palestinian state. » Read more

Gaza: Hamas Takes $500,000 From Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press March 3, 2011 - 1:00am All banks in the Gaza Strip temporarily shut down on Thursday after men affiliated with the ruling group Hamas forced a local branch to cash some $500,000 in checks. Gaza bankers said Hamas sent the police to confiscate the money from a branch of the Palestine Investment Bank. They said the police were accompanied by members of a committee Hamas had appointed in 2009 to oversee the Palestine Investment Fund, which is run by the rival Palestinian government in the West Bank. » Read more

UNRWA: A Good Investment for American Taxpayers ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post by Philip C. Wilcox - March 3, 2011 - 1:00am The historic popular uprisings in Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East are forcing the United States, for the first time in decades, to recalibrate American priorities there. In the past, we have weighted our diplomacy and resources toward order and stability, often at the expense of our commitment to freedom, democracy and development. The events of recent weeks make clear that we must give higher priority to supporting more just and accountable political institutions and to unfulfilled human needs. If we don't, the threat of violence and instability will surely grow. » Read more

Washington must not be a global policeman or dictators' patron ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Ziad Asali - March 4, 2011 - 1:00am The current uprisings in the Arab world demand a reassessment of current policy by all countries, especially the United States. One expects heightened demands for democracy, human rights, freedom of expression and regular elections, as well as a commitment to the people of the Middle East that their rights and aspirations will be properly reflected. It would not be surprising if all these demands were packaged as part of an initiative to address the Palestinian-Israel conflict and the establishment of a state of Palestine. » Read more

Washington must not be a global policeman or dictators' patron ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Ziad Asali - March 4, 2011 - 1:00am The current uprisings in the Arab world demand a reassessment of current policy by all countries, especially the United States. One expects heightened demands for democracy, human rights, freedom of expression and regular elections, as well as a commitment to the people of the Middle East that their rights and aspirations will be properly reflected. It would not be surprising if all these demands were packaged as part of an initiative to address the Palestinian-Israel conflict and the establishment of a state of Palestine. » Read more

March 3rd

Israel, Where Are You? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post by Alon Ben-meir - February 28, 2011 - 1:00am While the Arab world joins together in a call for democracy, Israel's democracy is unraveling. As the Arab world demands accountability from its leaders, Israel's leaders are facing investigations and indictments. As the Arab world demands greater social mobility and economic opportunity, Israel's gap between the rich and poor continues to widen. The Arab world has discovered the power of peaceful demonstration, while Israel continues to rely on military might, rather than peacemaking, to safeguard its national interests. » Read more

At least 70 outposts are located on private Palestinian land ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Americans For Peace Now by Lara Friedman, Hagit Ofran - March 2, 2011 - 1:00am Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday declared his intention to evacuate illegal settlement outposts that are located on private Palestinian land. This declaration reportedly applies to "at least 3 outposts." This declaration is problematic, for a number of reasons: 1. The number of outposts on private land is 70, not 3. Of these, 16 are fully on private land and 54 are partially on private land. Of the 16, 11 are on land which is fully registered as private. See here the full list. » Read more

Lessons from the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by Daoud Kuttab - March 3, 2011 - 1:00am Many activists in Palestine believe that they are the inventors of the concept of popular uprisings in the modern Arab history. After all, many say, the Palestinian Intifada has been hailed as a shining example of an entire people rising up in unison against a ruthless aggressor. » Read more