March 8th

Hamas leader says to reshuffle government
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
March 8, 2011 - 1:00am

Prime Minister of the deposed Hamas government in Gaza Ismail Haneya said on Monday that he will reshuffle his deposed government soon. He told a gathering of his government's representatives in Gaza that the move aims at pumping new blood to the government. "The activities of the government are not linked with this minister or that one, the ministers come and go, and we are going to reshuffle the government soon," said Haneya. He noted that his government had held consultations "with everyone without exception, adding that there are some people who refused to join the government.

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Palestinian official says Israeli government responsible for settlers assaults
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
March 8, 2011 - 1:00am

A senior Palestinian official on Monday held the Israeli government fully responsible for the ongoing attacks of the Jewish settlers against the Palestinians in the West Bank. Tayseer Khaled, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) executive committee, told Xinhua that the PLO condemns the recent settlers' attacks on Monday during which eight Palestinians were wounded. "What happened on Monday in the village of Qasrra near Nablus is not far away from the atmosphere that the Israeli government is encouraging and its silence towards the acts of the settlers," said Khaled.

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Israeli PM: Military must remain in West Bank
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Daniel Estrin - March 7, 2011 - 1:00am

Israel's prime minister declared Tuesday that his country must retain a strategic section of the West Bank under any future peace deal — a position unlikely to win Palestinians over to his reported plan to offer them a temporary state. In a rare visit to the occupied territory, Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters that Israel's security depends on maintaining a military presence in the Jordan Valley — a strip of West Bank land along the border with Jordan. Without troops there, Israel fears militants could smuggle weapons into the West Bank.

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For Better or for Worse
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy
by Aaron David Miller - (Editorial) March 7, 2011 - 1:00am

Israelis, like most Jews, worry for a living. The dark side of Jewish history and the security challenges of their national life compel them to. And these days there's plenty to worry about. Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and turbulent changes in the Arab world unleashed by the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia are shifting the power balance against Israel. Indeed, its position in the neighborhood -- in part as a consequence of its own policies -- is growing increasingly precarious.

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Palestinians make risky gambit for statehood
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Edmund Sanders - March 8, 2011 - 1:00am

Palestinian leaders are embarking on a risky statehood strategy that will seek to isolate Israel's hawkish government in the international community and rely less on U.S. backing, a move that reflects growing disappointment here with the Obama administration. The campaign will include U.N. resolutions such as one proposed last month on Israeli settlement building, boycotts against Israeli products, complaints in international courts and attempts to win formal recognition from as many countries as possible, Palestinian officials say.

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West Bank: Clash Over Olive Trees Leaves 8 Wounded
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Isabel Kershner - March 7, 2011 - 1:00am

At least seven Palestinians were wounded by gunfire and rubber bullets in clashes with Israeli settlers and soldiers in the northern West Bank on Monday, according to a Palestinian official and the Israeli military. One settler was reported wounded after being hit by a rock. Palestinians accused the settlers of having uprooted olive trees in the area. A military spokeswoman said that settlers and soldiers opened fire after being attacked by Palestinian stone throwers.

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March 7th

ATFP Board member Saliba Sarsar says Sari Nusseibeh is right that only a two-state solution can provide peace. Egypt’s new FM is likely to take a tougher line with Israel. The Israel-Lebanon border is quiet. Pres. Abbas gives PM Fayyad, whose national unity plan has divided Fatah, more time to form a cabinet. Food shortages grow in Gaza. Israel denies visas to an Anglican Bishop and to a Palestinian man married to a Jewish Israeli woman. PM Netanyahu says the world automatically sides with the Palestinians. Abbas says he won’t accept a state with temporary borders. A Palestinian worker is killed in a tunnel collapse. Jordan’s King says Israeli-Palestinian peace is the key to regional security. Israel plans work at a contested Jerusalem holy site. DM Barak says peace does not contradict Israeli security. Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters joins a cultural boycott of Israel. Israel is one of the least popular countries in the world. The Jordan Times says peace is urgently needed. Uri Avnery says Israel is placing itself on the wrong side of history.

Israel on history’s wrong side
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News
by Uri Avnery - (Opinion) March 6, 2011 - 1:00am

Of all the memorable phrases uttered by Barack Obama in the last two years, the one that stuck in my mind more than any other appeared in his historic speech in Cairo in the early days of his term.

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Always time for peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
(Editorial) March 7, 2011 - 1:00am

Israel says that now is not the time to reach a peace deal with the Palestinians, presumably because of the turmoil that has hit several Arab countries. The time to arrive at peace is always right, and Israel should not resort, once again, to procrastination or look for reasons not to agree to peace with the Palestinians where there are none.

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Israel ranked among least popular states
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
March 7, 2011 - 1:00am

More than 28,000 people were polled between December of 2010 and February of this year in a survey designed to gauge attitudes towards various countries worldwide. Just 21% of those polled expressed a positive opinion of Israel, while 49% expressed a negative attitude towards the Jewish state. However dismal, the numbers are still an improvement from last year, when just 19% were pro-Israel.

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