May 6th

J-Street urges trial period for Palestinian coalition ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Gil Shefler - May 6, 2011 - 12:00am The policies of the PA’s prospective Fatah-Hamas government towards Israel should be tested before it is condemned, J Street head Jeremy Ben-Ami said on Thursday in an interview with The Jerusalem Post. Adopting a strategy that would avoid any “precipitous” policies could turn out to be beneficial for the peace process, he said.s “Jumping out to say either this is a terrible thing or good thing is in our opinion not the wisest move, and the real question is, what this new alignment really going to stand for and what is it going to do, and that we don’t know,” he said. » Read more

'Hamas must reform if US to talk with Palestinian gov’t' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Hilary Leila Krieger - May 6, 2011 - 12:00am The US won’t deal with a Palestinian government that includes Hamas unless the Islamist group reforms, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared on Thursday. In the wake of the unity deal signed between Hamas and Fatah on Wednesday, Clinton said Hamas must adopt the Quartet principles of recognizing Israel’s right to exist, renouncing violence and respecting treaties previously signed by the Palestinians. » Read more

Katz: Palestinian state will be an Iranian foothold ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post May 6, 2011 - 12:00am Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz spoke out on Friday against a unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood. "The unilateral establishment of a Palestinian state with Hamas will strengthen Iran's foothold in the region," Katz said, while visiting the Itamar home of the Fogel family, who were murdered by Palestinians in March. "Hamas and its leaders are the only ones in the world that criticized the killing of Osama bin Laden, and we do not need to be in contact with an organization," that partners with Hamas, he added. » Read more

Netanyahu's Israel is fleeing the peace it once pursued ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Nehemia Shtrasler - (Opinion) May 6, 2011 - 12:00am The ceremony at Mount Herzl that concludes Memorial Day and opens Independence Day is quintessentially Israeli - a special mix of grief and joy, of mourning for the fallen while also celebrating the fact of the state's existence. But even in this ceremony, changes are occurring. » Read more

Netanyahu: Israel could support Palestinian state before September under right conditions ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Danna Harman - May 5, 2011 - 12:00am Israel could support a Palestinian state before September under the right conditions, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris on Thursday. Addressing a Palestinian plan to bring the issue of an independent Palestinian state forward at the United Nations General Assembly in September, Netanyahu said many things could be passed by the UN. » Read more

Finance Minister: Ridiculous to give PA money days before signing deal with Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Moti Bassok - May 6, 2011 - 12:00am Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz yesterday defended his decision to freeze the transfer of tax revenue to the Palestinian Authority, saying it was meant to act as a warning to the PA against moving closer to Hamas. » Read more

UN agency stages Gaza's first-ever marathon ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua May 6, 2011 - 12:00am About 1,500 professional and amateur runners have participated in the first-ever Gaza Marathon Thursday, which aims to raise funds for a United Nation's agency that helps Palestinian refugees. School children participating in the marathon run in relays along the route from the northern Gaza Strip to its southern end, while adults and the professional athletes run the full marathon, half marathon or 10 kilometers at the end. The sun rise was the zero hour for the marathon which took the entrance of the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun as a start line. » Read more

News Analysis: Israel to continue transferring funds to PNA under international pressure: analysts ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Adam Gonn - May 6, 2011 - 12:00am The Israeli government is facing international pressure as it suspends the transfer of some 89 million U.S. dollars of taxes that it has collected on behalf of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), in the wake of Hamas and Fatah signing the Egypt-sponsored reconciliation deal. Local analysts speaking to Xinhua on Thursday estimate that the money will be transferred soon, and that the EU is likely to continue providing aid to the Palestinians at least for now, though there is a strong possibility that the U.S. will end its aid. ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES » Read more

Netanyahu says only negotiation can achieve peace with Palestine ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua May 6, 2011 - 12:00am Israel won't accept UN diktat to resolve disputes with Palestine, but believed only negotiations can achieve regional peace, Israel Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Thursday after meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace. "A serious quest for peace can only happen through negotiations, through negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, and not through a UN diktat," he told reporters. » Read more

Settlers use tourism to draw Israelis to West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Tia Goldenberg - May 6, 2011 - 12:00am Perched atop a West Bank hill, the Binyamin region visitors center invites travelers to look past the military jeeps patrolling the surrounding area and enjoy nature, archaeological sites and bucolic vineyards. Jewish settlers are promoting tourism to draw Israelis who might otherwise never set foot in the West Bank, an occupied area Palestinians want as part of a future state. Proponents hope that drawing visitors will help increase support for retaining the territory, while critics say the tourism campaign, like Jewish settlements, is a foothold that stands in the way of making peace. » Read more