Palestinian Society | The American Task Force on Palestine

Israeli Court Grants Reprieve to Abandoned Palestinian Village
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Joel Greenberg - February 8, 2012 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM — A Jerusalem court has ruled against plans to build a luxury housing development on the remains of a Palestinian village abandoned in the 1948 war that followed the establishment of Israel. The court battle was seen as a test case for preservation of Palestinian heritage in Israel, where remains of Arab villages whose residents either fled or were expelled in the fighting have largely vanished under modern buildings, parks and planted forests.

2 Brothers Shot Dead in Central Nablus
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
February 8, 2012 - 12:00am

NABLUS (Ma’an) – Two Palestinian men were shot dead Wednesday after unidentified gunman opened fire in a store on Amman Street in Nablus in the northern West Bank. Locals said a gunman opened fire from point-blank range at the head of Munadil Nasasra, 36. The victim was evacuated to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus where medics announced his death shortly after he arrived. His brother, Muhammad Nasasra, 18, suffered critical injuries to the abdomen and legs. Medics pronounced him dead later Wednesday. Both victims were from the village of Beit Furik east of Nablus.

Neighborhood pays price of being on wrong side of Israel’s wall
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Los Angeles Times
by Edmund Sanders - February 7, 2012 - 12:00am

Reporting from Jerusalem— With a fire extinguisher in his hand and a cellphone pressed to his ear, principal Sameeh abu Rameelh battled an electrical fire in his Jerusalem high school's computer lab while pleading with the fire department to come to his aid. But when the emergency dispatcher heard that the school was in Kafr Aqab, separated from the rest of Jerusalem by a 36-foot-high concrete wall, he told Abu Rameelh that firetrucks wouldn't cross Israel's separation barrier without army protection.

PA to submit Israeli sites to World Heritage List
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Elior Levy - February 6, 2012 - 12:00am

Failure to make progress during the latest round of talks between the Palestinians and Israel led the Palestinian leadership to examine new ways in which to gain recognition in the international arena. One such effort is focused on submitting nominations of heritage sites – both on Palestinian and Israeli territory – for inscription on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The Palestinian Authority was admitted as a full member of UNESCO in October 2011, which enables it to make bids for historic monuments and locations to be classified as World Heritage Sites.

From Across the Line: Do Palestinians Have a Life?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Nida' Tuma - (Opinion) February 3, 2012 - 12:00am

Accompanying an Israeli couple on a short tour of Ramallah, I opt to take them to a nice Palestinian American-style coffee shop – one of my favorite places to go. Interestingly, one of their first comments on the visit is that the coffee prices are just as high as those in Tel Aviv. NIS 15 for a cup of coffee is quite expensive considering the average Palestinian income, but still affordable to some.

Palestinian aids Israeli soldier left behind in raid
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
February 3, 2012 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM, Feb 3 (Reuters) - An Israeli soldier stranded after a raid in occupied territory was escorted to safety by a Palestinian man in the same village the troops had targeted, witnesses and media reports said. The Israeli military said Friday a batallion commander had been suspended from duties for the soldier having been abandoned on enemy turf in the raid this week, an infraction which Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Benny Gantz saw as a "serious incident".

Protesters in Gaza Throw Shoes and Sticks at U.N. Chief
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Fares Akram - February 2, 2012 - 12:00am

GAZA — A convoy carrying Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations was pelted with shoes and sticks by Palestinian protesters when it entered the Gaza Strip from Israel on Thursday, witnesses said. About 100 men and women who said their family members were being held in Israeli prisons had arrived in buses near a checkpoint in Gaza, a few hundred yards from the Erez crossing, blocking traffic and complaining that Mr. Ban, on his third visit to Gaza, had no plans to meet with them.

Tewfik Mishlawi obituary
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Tim Llewellyn - (Obituary) February 2, 2012 - 12:00am

Tewfik Mishlawi, who has died aged 76, was a father-figure and guru to at least three generations of journalists who went to the Middle East. They live in eternal gratitude to him and his daily digest of translation from the local and regional Arabic press and his analytical explorations of what was going on.

Hackers Target Palestinian News Sites
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
February 1, 2012 - 12:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Hackers temporarily shut down two Palestinian news websites in the occupied West Bank late Tuesday, the latest targets in a string of hacks on Mideast websites. There was no immediate indication of who was behind the attacks on Wafa, the Palestinian Authority's official news agency, and several websites affiliated with Ma'an Network including its news page.

Results of a Specialized Opinion Poll among Palestinian Youth: Activism, Political Efficacy,Palestinian Internal Politics, Elections, Arab Spring and Negotiations
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from AWRAD
February 1, 2012 - 12:00am

Fieldwork: 15-17 January 2012 Sample Size: 1200 Palestinian Youth (18-30 years old) West Bank & Gaza Margin of error: + 3 % Highlights: •The majority of youth are skeptical about the direction where the Palestinian society is heading. •48 percent of youth respondents describe themselves as politically very active. •20 percent of the youth participated in activities directed at ending the internal division. •72 percent are willing to participate in protest activities against the occupation.