May 9th

Israel's obstacles to peace hurt U.S. ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The San Francisco Chronicle by Richard North Patterson - (Opinion) May 8, 2011 - 12:00am Once again, we read, the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians are dead. So it is imperative that, at last, Americans and Israelis alike face some very hard truths about this impasse - including the fact that the current policies of Israel damage the national interests and moral stature of both countries. » Read more

Ain al-Hilweh upbeat on recent Fatah-Hamas reconciliation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Mohammed Zaatari - May 9, 2011 - 12:00am Lebanon’s Palestinian factions celebrated over the weekend the Egyptian-sponsored reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas as officials and residents of Ain al-Hilweh underscored the importance of this opportunity to boost the resistance to Israeli occupation. At the southern entrance to the country’s biggest refugee camp, Hamas and Fatah flags were spotted elevated side by side atop of a tent where Palestinian nationalist anthems were played to mark unity among the Palestinian people and enmity to Israel. » Read more

Less of America, now, for Palestinians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Rami Khouri - (Opinion) May 9, 2011 - 12:00am Much of the American-Israeli reaction to the reconciliation agreement that the leading Palestinian movements Fatah and Hamas signed last week has focused on what this means for the peace process with Israel. Not surprisingly, much of this same American-Israeli reaction to Palestinian issues once again misses the point. » Read more

Egypt’s foreign minister on the way forward after Mubarak ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Lally Weymouth - (Interview) May 6, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas signed an agreement this past week in Cairo that was seen as a first step toward unifying rival governments in Gaza and the West Bank. U.S. and Israeli officials are wary that the reconciliation, brokered by Egypt, could undermine any peace efforts, since both countries consider Hamas a terrorist organization. Prior to the ceremony, Washington Post senior associate editor Lally Weymouth interviewed Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Elaraby on the accord and other changes since the fall of President Hosni Mubarak. Excerpts follow. » Read more

A Fatah-Hamas Deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times (Editorial) May 9, 2011 - 12:00am Ultimately, a successful Palestinian state will need to have all its people, from both the West Bank and Gaza, working together to build a stable and prosperous future. The recent agreement between the two main factions — Fatah, which leads the Palestinian Authority and has committed to peace with Israel, and Hamas, which has committed to Israel’s destruction — is not the answer. » Read more

A fragile balance between forces in Fatah-Hamas deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Magid Shihade - (Opinion) May 9, 2011 - 12:00am The agreement between Fatah and Hamas, following secret talks sponsored by Egypt, has the potential to end years of Palestinian division, infighting and paralysis. The pact promises an interim "unity" government until elections next year. The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) will be restructured to incorporate Hamas, creating a common front for the next stage of struggle against Israeli colonisation. » Read more

Drive for Palestinian Unity Exposes Fractured Society ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - May 6, 2011 - 12:00am Louai Faisal, 27, a Palestinian resident of this West Bank city long considered a Hamas stronghold, has spent three periods in Israeli prisons, starting in 2003 when he was sentenced to two and a half years as a would-be suicide bomber for Hamas. More recently, he has spent three terms in Palestinian Authority prisons in the West Bank, arrested each time by a different security apparatus, he said, and interrogated because he was suspected of belonging to Hamas. The latest detention lasted six weeks and ended in March. » Read more

Gaza militia 'in grab for power' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Hugh Naylor - May 8, 2011 - 12:00am They are supposed to function as Hamas's military: an enigmatic commando force carrying out attacks against Israel and protecting the Islamist group's political leadership. But Palestinian leaders, political analysts and human rights groups in Gaza say the powerful Qassam Brigades have grown unwieldy, increasingly defiant of Hamas political leaders and brutally repressive towards public dissent. Instead of focusing on Israel, they say, the Brigades have been trying to consolidate their power in Gaza. » Read more

Give Palestinians their tax cash, Israel told ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Hugh Naylor - May 8, 2011 - 12:00am World leaders have opposed Israel's decision to withhold nearly $90 million in tax revenue owed to Palestinian officials, in response to a recent unity deal with Hamas. Yuval Steinitz, the Israeli finance minister, said last week he would suspend payment of customs duties and other taxes it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which amounts to more than $1 billion (Dh3.67bn) in annual revenues for the West Bank's governing body. » Read more

Egypt to Grant Citizenship to Children of Palestinian Fathers ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by Arieh O'Sullivan - May 8, 2011 - 12:00am Egypt’s decision to grant citizenship to the children of Palestinians married to Egyptian women is being hailed as a victory for women’s rights in Cairo -- and equally welcomed in Israel but for political reasons. “We praise the decision by the minister of interior. This is a victory for human rights and especially for women’s rights because it gives them equality,” Nahed Shehada, the head of programs for the Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights, told The Media Line. » Read more