March 12th

Israeli warplanes bomb southern Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
March 12, 2010 - 1:00am

JERUSALEM, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Israeli warplanes struck southern Gaza on Thursday night in response to rocket fire from the coastal strip, said an army announcement. The airstrike was targeted at a weapon factory and a smuggling tunnel near the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, said the announcement from Israeli army spokesperson's office. The attack was a response to the firing of a rocket that hit an Israeli village on Thursday.

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Israel moves to change law after Biden "mishap"
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman
by Matti Friedman - March 12, 2010 - 1:00am

JERUSALEM — Israel is moving to amend the country's planning procedures on sensitive political decisions following an embarrassing diplomatic flap during a visit this week by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, a Cabinet minister said Friday.

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Egypt expels hundreds of Palestinians to Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
March 12, 2010 - 1:00am

Gaza - Ma'an - Palestinian border officials said Friday that 224 Palestinians were sent back to the Gaza Strip from Egypt on Thursday night. The Palestinians, most of them former medical patients, were sent back via Rafah, the de facto crossings authority officials told Ma'an. The reports came amid larger allegations that Egypt had hardened its policies on issuing visas to Hamas leader from Gaza

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Joe Biden gives Israel bear hug - and tough love
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Joshua Mitnick - March 11, 2010 - 1:00am

Tel Aviv Despite two days of public friction between the US and Israel over a Jerusalem building project, Vice President Joe Biden today delivered an emotional speech laden with admiration for the Jewish state. Some years ago "I said if I was Jew, I would be a Zionist," Biden said, telling the audience at Tel Aviv University of his affinity for Israel since childhood. "I was reminded by my father you need not be a Jew to be a Zionist."

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Middle East peace efforts: lessons from healthcare reform
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Amjad Atallah - (Opinion) March 12, 2010 - 1:00am

It took a year of trying for President Obama to persuade Israelis and Palestinians to enter into "proximity talks" to resolve issues standing in the way of a final peace plan. But as we learned from the stunning announcement this week -- during Vice President Joe Biden's visit to the region -- that Israel had approved 112 new settlement units in the West Bank and 1,600 new settlement units in East Jerusalem, there is a lot that can go wrong.

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Middle East: What can Obama do to restore confidence in peace process?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Borzou Daragahi - March 11, 2010 - 1:00am

Voices of skepticism and disdain abound when it comes to United States' efforts to promote peace in the Middle East. Many in the Arab world regard the Obama administration's steps to restart talks as too little too late by a government too beholden to Israel. But some also proposed ideas for moving forward, even after Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories, where peace was overshadowed by Israel's announcement of plans to expand settlements in the West Bank.

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Two Israeli soldiers accused of using human shield
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Edmund Sanders - March 12, 2010 - 1:00am

Reporting from Jerusalem - Two Israeli soldiers involved in the Gaza Strip offensive a year ago used a 9-year-old Palestinian boy as a human shield to open packages they believed were booby-trapped with explosives, the Israeli army charged Thursday. The soldiers, whose names were not released, have been indicted in military court for "unauthorized conduct" and "exceeding their authority in a manner that endangered life or health," the army said. The boy, whose case was forwarded to the Israel Defense Forces by the United Nations, was unharmed.

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Biden to Leave Mideast Amid Unease
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Ethan Bronner - March 11, 2010 - 1:00am

TEL AVIV — Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. came to Israel early this week to promote new Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and tighten the bonds between Israel and the United States. He left Thursday amid increased uncertainty over the nature and timing of those talks and with a sense of unease hanging over the American-Israeli relationship.

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March 11th

The New York Times calls Israel's new settlement announcement, "a slap in the face to Washington." VP Biden's trip is entirely overshadowed by the development. The LA Times says a two-state agreement is still the only way to achieve peace. PLO officials say proximity talks will be on hold until the settlement expansion is canceled, and Arab states may have withdrawn their support. Pres. Abbas says Arabs must intervene. Hamas frees a British journalist in Gaza. A 35-year-old woman becomes governor of a key district in the West Bank. Ha'aretz says Israel is planning 50,000 new settlement units in Occupied East Jerusalem, more construction bids are issued in the West Bank, and a commentary says the US can no longer turn a blind eye. Large percentages of Israelis say they don't want equality for Arabs. A British witness recounts the killing of an American activist by Israeli forces. The Independent says Israel may get away with its latest behavior. Michael Young looks at four years in Gaza following Hamas' parliamentary victory. The National says Israel has damaged prospects for peace. Daoud Kuttab analyzes the settlement issue.

The New York Times calls Israel's new settlement announcement, "a slap in the face to Washington." VP Biden's trip is entirely overshadowed by the development. The LA Times says a two-state agreement is still the only way to achieve peace. PLO officials say proximity talks will be on hold until the settlement expansion is canceled, and Arab states may have withdrawn their support. Pres. Abbas says Arabs must intervene. Hamas frees a British journalist in Gaza. A 35-year-old woman becomes governor of a key district in the West Bank. Ha'aretz says Israel is planning 50,000 new settlement units in Occupied East Jerusalem, more construction bids are issued in the West Bank, and a commentary says the US can no longer turn a blind eye. Large percentages of Israelis say they don't want equality for Arabs. A British witness recounts the killing of an American activist by Israeli forces. The Independent says Israel may get away with its latest behavior. Michael Young looks at four years in Gaza following Hamas' parliamentary victory. The National says Israel has damaged prospects for peace. Daoud Kuttab analyzes the settlement issue.

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