June 8th, 2011

Readiness and blindness in the Golan Heights ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) June 7, 2011 - 12:00am The IDF proved this week that it does a good job preparing for the previous war. It may only be an isolated incident, whose character was more civilian police-oriented than military, but anyone who found flaws in the intelligence and military systems on Nakba Day (May 15 ) must admit the lessons were learned, the forces were deployed and the mission was accomplished. On Sunday, Naksa Day, the Israel Defense Forces succeeded in blocking hundreds of demonstrators who, surrounded by cameras, stormed the border fences in the Golan Heights, carrying flags, posters and loudspeakers. » Read more

The end of the media's Israel fixation? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Carmel Gould - (Opinion) June 8, 2011 - 12:00am The Arab spring has had a remarkable effect on the media's appetite for Middle East news which doesn't revolve around Israel. Over the first three months of this year, correspondents usually engaged full time in counting Israeli bricks going down in the West Bank were dispatched to Tahrir Square and Tripoli, because something even bigger was happening. » Read more

Pro-Syrian Palestinian group kills 11 refugees ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Khaled Yacoub Oweis - June 7, 2011 - 12:00am AMMAN (Reuters) – Gunmen from a Palestinian faction loyal to Syria shot dead at least 11 Palestinians at a refugee camp near Damascus Monday in a dispute over the group's backing for Damascus, Palestinian sources said Tuesday. Hundreds of angry refugees had tried to storm the headquarters of the Syrian-backed Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) in Yarmouk camp on the edges of Damascus. They accused the group of sacrificing Palestinian lives by encouraging protesters to demonstrate at the Golan Heights, where several were shot by Israeli forces. » Read more

June 7th

Weakening the chances for peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Ephraim Sneh - (Blog) June 6, 2011 - 12:00am Applying the term "blockade" to the Gaza Strip involves not a little hypocrisy. It ignores both the nature of the regime there and what that regime has done in Gaza in its four years in power. » Read more

A radicalizing factor ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Ghassan Khatib - (Blog) June 6, 2011 - 12:00am The recent developments in Egypt that led to changes in the Egyptian regime, together with the reconciliation of Fateh and Hamas, have once again brought to the surface the Israeli blockade of Gaza and possible ways of lifting it. The most recent illustration of this was Egypt's decision to open the Rafah crossing with Gaza to travelers, which seemed to be an incentive for Gaza's rulers, Hamas, to proceed with the reconciliation pact. » Read more

Israel bears responsibility ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Issam Younis - (Blog) June 6, 2011 - 12:00am Since 1967, Israel has controlled the movement of individuals and goods in the Gaza Strip through force, military orders, and executive measures and policies. This "over-control" has only served the interests of Israel, connecting the Israeli economy to the Gaza Strip through its six crossings. » Read more

Non-violence activist addresses Israeli military court ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency June 7, 2011 - 12:00am Non-violence activist Bassem Tamimi's address to Israel's Ofer military court during his trial for organizing protests in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh. A military judge refused to allow Tamimi to read his full statement in court. Your Honor, I hold this speech out of belief in peace, justice, freedom, the right to live in dignity, and out of respect for free thought in the absence of Just Laws. » Read more

The No-Longer Temporary Occupation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Joseph Dana - (Opinion) June 5, 2011 - 12:00am One particular success of Israel’s 44-year control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has been the government’s ability to convince the Israeli population of the temporary nature of the occupation. Every sector of Israeli society, except religious settlers and the military establishment, understand the occupation to be an ephemeral security measure necessary only in the absence of a peace agreement with the Palestinians. » Read more

Aggressive, again ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times (Editorial) June 7, 2011 - 12:00am Israel’s killing on Sunday of scores of Syrian demonstrators approaching the armistice line on occupied Golan Heights is proof, again, of Tel Aviv’s thirst for Arab blood. Hundreds of unarmed Syrian protesters held a peaceful demonstration to express their rejection of the more than four-decades-long Israeli occupation of Syrian territory. Trying to cross the ceasefire line through the barbed wire, to enter the Golan Heights, in a repeat of last month’s demonstrations in observance of the Nakbeh, the protesters were met with fire from the Israeli troops. » Read more

Palestinian Statehood Drive Fraught With Obstacles ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by David Rosenberg - (Analysis) June 6, 2011 - 12:00am The Palestinian drive to win United Nation recognition of statehood faces immense political and legal obstacles, scholars said at a conference on Monday. But they said that even if they succeed, the practical impact will be minimal. “The world already sees us as an occupier of Palestinian territory. What would be the big the change?” said Robbie Sabel, who teaches international law and the Hebrew University and advised the Israeli Foreign Ministry. “Since the world is going to accept a Palestinian state, I suggest to Israel that since we can’t beat them, we should join them.” » Read more