ATFP Senior Fellow Examines Obama and Bush Mideast Policies at Pace
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - March 31, 2010 - 12:00am

Pres. Obama's administration has reconceptualized the nature of strategic and political dynamics in the Middle East and the broader Islamic world, ATFP Senior Fellow Hussein Ibish told an audience of over 100 at Pace University on Thursday, March 25, 2010. He said that during the Bush administration and traditionally, the United States has viewed strategic relations in the Arab and Islamic worlds as a series of discrete problems and challenges to be dealt with on bilateral or trilateral bases.


Senior Fatah official refuses to appear alone before Israeli court
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
March 31, 2010 - 12:00am

A senior official from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party on Wednesday refused to stand before an Israeli military court, showing a solidarity sign with a group of detainees who were detained with him and being tried separately. Abbas Zaki, a member of Fatah central committee, was arrested with 11 Palestinians on an Israeli checkpoint in the West Bank during a demonstration this week.

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Fayyad joins protest to mark Land Day
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
March 30, 2010 - 12:00am

Prime Minister Salam Fayyad joined over 200 Israeli, Palestinian and internationals marking Land Day on Tuesday in the village of Qarawat Bani Hassan, in the West Bank governorate of Salfit. The march began at around 10am and lasted until 12:30pm, Israeli peace activist Jonathan Pollack said, beginning near the Ein Entweteg Spring in the village.

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Fatah calls for escalation of non-violent resistance
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
March 31, 2010 - 12:00am

Fatah's Central Committee stressed the necessity for an escalation of non-violent resistance against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, officials said following a meeting on Tuesday. United Palestinians should continue to protest the crimes committed against them by Israel, the Central Committee said, and recruit the help of international solidarity activists, officials said, noting their willingness to put forward a concerted effort toward Palestinian unity.

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Hamas: Fatah must apologize to Palestine for failed efforts
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
March 31, 2010 - 12:00am

Fatah’s call for an escalation of peaceful resistance is an admission of the failure of the government to reach a peace deal for Palestinians, Hamas officials declared on Tuesday following a cabinet meeting in Gaza. Fatah and the Palestinian Authority must now "apologize to the Palestinians for forcing them into a failed process that lasted 20 years," a statement from the Gaza government said, citing the continued occupation of the West Bank, the siege on Gaza, and the unfaltering settlement construction in the West Bank including East Jerusalem.

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A script that may never be finished
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Raja Abdulrahim - March 30, 2010 - 12:00am

When Saleem Azzouqa first wrote a pivotal scene in his semi-autobiographical play, "Salam Shalom," two gay lovers were depicted arguing over a fictional suicide bombing. But this was no ordinary couple. One of the men was an Israeli Jew, the other a Palestinian Muslim, and the site of the imaginary bombing was Tel Aviv. Soon, the playwright realized he need not invent dramatic twists for this story. The nightly news would provide all the material he needed.

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March 30th

The Background on Jerusalem in International Relations
Press Release - March 30, 2010 - 12:00am

Numerous recent developments have reconfirmed the centrality of Jerusalem to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.


ATFP Senior Fellow Urges Audience to Support Palestinian State Building
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - March 30, 2010 - 12:00am

ATFP Senior Fellow Hussein Ibish joined Ori Nir of Americans for Peace Now in a panel discussion hosted by the South Mountain Peace Action of Maplewood and South Orange, NJ, on Wednesday, March 24, 2010. Ibish focused on the current confrontation between the Obama administration and the Israeli government over settlements and other issues.


Roger Cohen says the Middle East is starting to change. Israeli ministers reiterate determination to settle occupied East Jerusalem, call US demands "irritating." Rachel Corrie's parents persist in Israel lawsuit. Israeli troops kill Palestinian child, injure several other protesters. A new survey finds 55% of settlers are in Jerusalem. Gaza banks go on strike after Hamas gunmen seize cash in daylight heist. The PA approves $3.9 billion 2007 budget. Akiva Eldar says Israelis are suffering from a plague of darkness. Thousands attend Land Day ceremonies. A court orders more arguments on whether the PLO and the PA are liable for a Hamas terrorist attack. Israel agrees to allow a shipment of clothes and shoes into Gaza. Malcolm Hoenlein says Pres. Obama must do more to mend ties with Israel. British MPs say UK weapons not used in the occupied territories. An Israeli journalist is reportedly being held in secret house arrest for leaking details of Israeli assassinations. Ron Kampeas outlines the present state of the US-Israel confrontation, and analysts say Arab states have failed to take advantage. Tariq Alhomayed says the Arabs must not allow Iranian clients like Hamas to exploit the situation. The Arab News says Pres. Obama should make sure Israel understands the cost of its policies.

Israel gags news of soldier turned journalist under arrest
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)
by Ron Kampeas - March 29, 2010 - 12:00am

Israel has held a journalist under secret house arrest since last December based on allegations that during her military service she leaked classified documents suggesting that the Israeli army violated laws dealing with targeted killings. Anat Kam, 23, was arrested last December and charged under Israel's espionage and treason laws, JTA has learned. Prosecutors are seeking a 14-year sentence, which is considered severe by Israeli standards.

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