Settler injures West Bank youth ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News April 27, 2009 - 12:00am A Palestinian teenager has been shot and seriously injured by a Jewish settler in the northern West Bank. Palestinian officials said the boy had been working on his family's land near Madama when he was shot by settlers. There are no reports of any arrests. The incident took place near the Yitzhar settlement. The boy was later taken to hospital in Nablus. An Israeli police spokesman said a settler had opened fire after coming under attack by stone-throwers. The settler was due to be questioned by police, the spokesman told AFP news agency. » Read more

Israel built, planned 9,000 homes on war-won land ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Karin Laub - April 27, 2009 - 12:00am Israel's previous government built or issued bids for some 9,000 homes for Israelis in Jerusalem and the West Bank, despite its promise to pursue a peace deal with the Palestinians, settlement monitors said Monday, summarizing Ehud Olmert's three years as prime minister. The Israeli watchdog groups Peace Now and Ir Amim urged President Barack Obama to step in quickly and pressure Israel's new prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to halt further settlement expansion, particularly in the areas of Jerusalem the Palestinians want for their future capital. » Read more

Encountering peace: Education for peace - who will stand up to the challenge? Part II ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Gershon Baskin - April 27, 2009 - 12:00am A peace process occurs between nations transferring them from a state of war between enemies to a state of peace between partners. A successful peace process requires a shift of attitudes in a cross section of the society and must be built between the peoples. This lengthy process also requires formal education that should take place through the educational system. » Read more

Palestinian theatre offers youths a breath of freedom ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) April 28, 2009 - 12:00am Bisam Astiti takes her role very seriously -- the theatre is one of the few places where the 13-year-old living in the stranglehold of Israeli occupation can feel free. "Acting helps me be stronger and to free myself from worries," says the doe-eyed Palestinian teenager, her long black hair pulled back in a ponytail. "Before, I had elocution problems, I spoke too fast. But now I've learned to listen and be more patient," she says in between rehearsing her lines for an upcoming production of "The Pied Piper of Hamelin". » Read more