Palestinians may be looking for peace beyond Washington ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Jonathan Schachter - (Editorial) March 4, 2011 - 1:00am President Barack Obama has spoken more forcefully than any of his predecessors about the importance of a Palestinian state. His eagerness to advance that goal undoubtedly influenced his introduction of the unprecedented and unrealistic position ? then adopted by the Palestinian Authority ? to make a total Israeli construction freeze in the West Bank and East Jerusalem a precondition for further peace negotiations ?(though progress was scant following an earlier freeze?). » Read more

Netanyahu: Binational state would be disastrous for Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - March 4, 2011 - 1:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected in the coming weeks to put forward a peace initiative in a bid to break through the deadlock in the peace process and extricate Israel from international isolation. Netanyahu has warned in recent days during closed meetings that “a binational state would be disastrous for Israel,” and therefore it is necessary to undertake a political move that will remove this threat. » Read more

World must act on settler violence: Palestinians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) March 2, 2011 - 1:00am The Palestinian Authority on Wednesday urged the international community to take action to halt Jewish settler violence towards Palestinians. Following a series of attacks against Palestinians across the West Bank, the Ramallah-based leadership issued a statement demanding the international community "intervene with Israel over the violent and provocative actions by settlers, which the Israeli authorities refuse to control." » Read more

Major Palestinian party looks to oust Fayyad ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Mohammed Assadi - March 3, 2011 - 1:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' dominant Fatah political faction has demanded that he sack Western-backed Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, according to a letter shown to Reuters on Thursday. The letter, signed by senior Fatah officials, was sent to Abbas on Saturday, but the president "did not take it seriously", a Fatah official told Reuters. However, the request underlined deep political friction at the heart of the Palestinian Authority, with many Fatah activists clearly frustrated by Fayyad, who has no significant political base of his own but wields substantial power. » Read more

Barak reveals doubts Israeli cabinet can make peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters March 3, 2011 - 1:00am Defence Minister Ehud Barak said on Thursday he thought Israel's right-wing dominated government was "not really conducive to making diplomatic progress" with the Palestinians." In an interview with Israel's Channel 10 television, Barak said he feared what he called "a tsunami approaching," or "growing international pressure to delegitimise Israel" over a six month stalemate in U.S.-brokered talks with Palestinians. » Read more

Gaza banks shut down after Hamas confiscation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Ibrahim Barzak - March 3, 2011 - 1:00am All banks in the Gaza Strip temporarily shut down on Thursday after Hamas-affiliated men forced a local branch to cash some $500,000 in checks. Gaza bankers said the ruling Hamas militant group sent police to confiscate the money from a branch of the Palestine Investment Bank. They said the police were accompanied by members of a committee Hamas had appointed in 2009 to oversee the Palestine Investment Fund, which is run by the rival Palestinian government in the West Bank. » Read more

Israel: No Palestinian peace deal possible now ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Amy Teibel - March 3, 2011 - 1:00am Israel has concluded that a final peace deal with the Palestinians cannot be reached at this time and is weighing alternatives to try to prove that it is interested in keeping peacemaking with the Palestinians alive, officials said Thursday. With popular protests shaking up the Mideast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under fierce international pressure to prove he is serious about getting peacemaking moving again, especially after the U.S. vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israel's West Bank settlement construction last month. » Read more

Israeli-Arab leaders under fire for Libya visit ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Diaa Hadid - March 4, 2011 - 1:00am Israeli-Arab leaders are on the defensive over a much-publicized visit to Libya last year, where they fawned over Moammar Gadhafi and posed for a series of photographs beaming alongside the longtime ruler. Known as loud critics of Israel's treatment of its Arab minority, they are now facing uncomfortable questions about their long history of cozying up to some of the Middle East's most authoritarian leaders. » Read more

Hamas to present new reconciliation plan ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 4, 2011 - 1:00am A political advisor to Prime Minster Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza says Hamas will present an initiative within the coming days on its government shakeup and rejection of Salam Fayyad's unity government. Yousef Rezqa told Ma'an that "Hamas, with all of its departments, is considering presenting this initiative to the Palestinians," saying it would "go into detail on what is obstructing the internal situation." » Read more

Witnesses: Airstrike targets central Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 4, 2011 - 1:00am sraeli warplanes struck a car in central Gaza Friday morning causing no injuries, witnesses said. Locals said Israeli fighter jets fired two missiles near the An-Nuseirat refugee camp, destroying a jeep belonging to a resistance fighter. Many Israeli drones were hovering over Gaza at the time of the raid, residents said. An Israeli military spokeswoman was not immediately familiar with the attack.