Despite it all, Bibi still deserves a chance ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yoel Marcus - (Opinion) June 3, 2011 - 12:00am Nobody has caught me saying a good word about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Not during his first term and not during his second one. In a "conciliatory conversation" between his two terms, mediated by his friend Dr. Gabi Picker, Bibi accused me of contributing to his downfall as prime minister. » Read more

Palestinian refugees in Syria determined to return home ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua June 2, 2011 - 12:00am Thousands of Palestinians in Syria who have never seen their original homes before are preparing to travel on June 5 to the Golan Heights two thirds of which are under Israeli control. Sixty-three years have passed since they were displaced from their homes. However, Palestinian refugees in Syria are still determined to return home. "We want to cross the borders peacefully to return to our fathers and ancestors' home," said Hasan Hijazi, a Palestinian man who managed to cross the borders and get to Jaffa on May 15. » Read more

France invites Israel, Palestinians to peace talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press June 2, 2011 - 12:00am The French foreign minister says he's inviting Israeli and Palestinian leaders to Paris this month to relaunch peace talks. Alain Juppe says "there's a sense of urgency. The status quo is unsustainable." Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who met with Juppe in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday, would not say whether the Palestinians would accept the invitation. Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said he would not comment before Juppe meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later Thursday in Jerusalem. » Read more

Doctors threaten to resign over PA inaction ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency June 3, 2011 - 12:00am The doctors' union has threatened to submit mass resignations in response to a decision by the Palestinian government in Ramallah to refer an ongoing strike in the medical sector to court. Jawad Awad, head of the union, said “the decision taken by the government to go to court ... is a stab in the heart of democracy and citizens’ rights, which grant all workers a right to strike." Awad called on President Mahmoud Abbas to intervene in order to end the crisis. » Read more

Settlers, police clash at West Bank outpost ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) June 3, 2011 - 12:00am Six Israeli police officers and five settlers were injured Thursday in clashes that erupted as police dismantled an illegal settlement outpost, a police spokesman said. Police moved in to the Ali Ayan outpost in the West Bank, north of Ramallah, early on Thursday, spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. "Police, border police, and the army moved in there in the early morning in order to take down four illegal buildings that were built recently," he said. "Immediately upon arriving in the area there was a strong response from settlers, who threw stones." » Read more

Obama’s commitment to Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Rahm Emanuel - (Opinion) June 2, 2011 - 12:00am Days into my tenure as mayor of Chicago, with my focus on keeping our city’s streets safe, our schools strong and our finances stabilized, I expected my attention to be in the Midwest, not in the Middle East. But as an American and the son of an Israeli immigrant, I have a deep, abiding commitment to the survival, security and success of the state of Israel. » Read more