Peres hands Obama letter from Pollard ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) April 26, 2011 - 12:00am Israeli President Shimon Peres handed President Obama a letter from Jonathan Pollard pleading for his release. "I write to implore you, Mr. President, in the wake of numerous calls by senior American officials urging you to commute my sentence to time served, and in light of the official request by Prime Minister Netanyahu, to please send me home to Israel now, in time to celebrate my first Passover in freedom in 26 years," said the April 1 letter, Pollard's first direct communication with an American president. » Read more

No peace partner ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by Hassan Barari - (Opinion) April 26, 2011 - 12:00am It is hard to avoid the feeling that the current Israeli government is neither interested in nor capable of making peace with the Palestinians, let alone the rest of the Arabs. If anything, all steps taken by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government are designed to sidestep any genuine peace effort. » Read more

Nablus shooting is a deadly mistake, until proven otherwise ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) April 26, 2011 - 12:00am The tragic death of Ben-Yosef Livnat in Nablus could have been prevented. The preliminary investigation shows that Livnat and his companions decided to visit Joseph's tomb without coordinating their trip into the Palestinian Authority with the Israel Defense Forces. They apparently broke through a Palestinian roadblock, and Palestinian police officers shot them in response. » Read more

International activists harvest on Gaza border ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency April 26, 2011 - 12:00am Just a kilometer from the 'security fence' separating Israel and Gaza, international solidarity activists and Palestinian volunteers on Monday began a wheat and barley harvest on behalf of landowners who fear Israeli artillery and gunfire in the no-go zone. Several Palestinian farmers have been killed and injured in the area as they tended their land or collected crops. The Israeli army imposes a no-go zone inside the Gaza Strip border areas, citing security concerns. » Read more

Palestinians to probe fatal shooting ATFP World Press Roundup Article from United Press International (UPI) April 26, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian Authority military intelligence officials are investigating the fatal shooting of an Israeli worshipper in Nablus early Sunday, officials said. Ben Yosef Livnat, 24, was killed and four other Israelis wounded after Palestinian police opened fire on their vehicle as they attempted to exit Nablus after sneaking in to pray at Joseph's Tomb. The Israeli worshippers entered the city without coordinating their entry with Israel Defense Forces, Haaretz said. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak both condemned the shooting, The Jerusalem Post said. » Read more

University employees announce strike ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency April 25, 2011 - 12:00am University employees will strike on Wednesday to demand better pay and a new council for higher education, union officials said. Employees will go to work but will be on a comprehensive strike, said spokesman of the federation of university employees' unions Mousa Ajwa. Head of the federation Amjad Barham expressed disappointment over the "indifference" of the Palestinian Council for Higher Education to employees' interests. » Read more

Palestinian Billionaire Sees Hope After Arab Spring ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Voice of America by Luis Ramirez - April 22, 2011 - 12:00am It is a sight one would not expect in the Israeli-occupied West Bank: An Italian villa complete with ancient Greek statues, Picassos, and manicured gardens reminiscent of Versailles. Palestinian billionaire Munib Al Masri, whose personal wealth represents about a third of the Palestinian economy, has turned his extravagant dream into reality. Al Masri invited correspondent Luis Ramirez to his lavish home near Nablus to talk about his vision for a Palestinian state. A palace on a hill overlooking Nablus, complete with authentic works of art from Europe. » Read more

Lingering PA cabinet calls for halt to settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency April 25, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian Authority ministers convened for a weekly meeting in Ramallah Monday, despite President Mahmoud Abbas' announcement seven days prior that a new cabinet would be appointed within the week. Headed by West Bank Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who was re-appointed by the president when the cabinet was formally dissolved on February 14, caretaker ministers slammed Israel's settlement activity in Jerusalem, and ongoing excavations at the site of the Al-Aqsa mosque in the city. » Read more

Palestinian Billionaire Sees Hope After Arab Spring ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Voice of America by Luis Ramirez - April 22, 2011 - 12:00am It is a sight one would not expect in the Israeli-occupied West Bank: An Italian villa complete with ancient Greek statues, Picassos, and manicured gardens reminiscent of Versailles. Palestinian billionaire Munib Al Masri, whose personal wealth represents about a third of the Palestinian economy, has turned his extravagant dream into reality. Al Masri invited correspondent Luis Ramirez to his lavish home near Nablus to talk about his vision for a Palestinian state. A palace on a hill overlooking Nablus, complete with authentic works of art from Europe. » Read more

Our Kind of Realism ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy by Aluf Benn - (Opinion) April 26, 2011 - 12:00am Israel's ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, asserts rightly that in view of the current political upheaval, America has no better or more trustworthy friend in the Middle East than Israel. Looking at the region's strategic map, one sees mostly instability and uncertainty. Who is going to rule Egypt, Syria, and Saudi Arabia five years ahead? What will happen in Iraq if and when U.S. forces leave? And will Iran prevail as the new regional superpower under its current leadership, or will it go through regime change and return to the pro-Western camp? » Read more