February 13th

UN rapporteur slams Israeli policy of 'Judaization'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
February 13, 2012 - 1:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- A United Nations Special Rapporteur said Sunday that Israel is systematically implementing a discriminatory policy of housing and planning in Israel, East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank. "From the Galilee and the Negev to East Jerusalem and the West Bank, the Israeli authorities promote a territorial development model that excludes, discriminates against and displaces minorities, particularly affecting Palestinian communities," Professor Raquel Rolnik, UN rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, said on Sunday.

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Poll: Palestinians most concerned about economic future
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
February 13, 2012 - 1:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- A poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion has found that a majority of Palestinians are most concerned about their jobs and financial status, and support opposition to proposed PA tax reforms currently on hold after widespread outcry. The poll, conducted by Dr. Nabil Kukali between Jan. 22 and Feb. 4, shows 54.7 percent of Palestinians currently fear the survival of their family during economic hard times in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

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Police close Al-Aqsa, block right-wing leader
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
February 13, 2012 - 1:00am

JERUSALEM (Ma’an) -- Israeli police closed access to Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa compound on Sunday morning, saying they feared unrest after leaflets were distributed around the city calling to remove "Israel's enemies" from the site. Police also blocked far-right Israeli politician Moshe Feiglin from entering the holy compound "for security reasons," Israeli police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said. Feiglin, who was the sole rival to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in their Likud's party leadership contest last month, said earlier this week he intended to tour the Al-Aqsa compound.

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Settlers: Israel drafts deal to delay evacuating rogue settlement, despite eviction order
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
February 13, 2012 - 1:00am

JERUSALEM — Israeli settlers from an unauthorized West Bank outpost said Monday they reached a deal with the country’s government to allow them to stay put for two more years, despite Israeli Supreme Court orders to evacuate them next month. The Migron settlement, built in 2001 on what authorities say is private Palestinian land, is seen as a test case for the Israeli government’s resolve — or lack thereof — concerning unauthorized settlement outposts.

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Hamas police bans pro-Syria opposition rally in Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
February 12, 2012 - 1:00am

GAZA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Hamas police on Sunday prevented dozens of activists from demonstrating in solidarity with Syrian people in the Gaza Strip, witnesses said. The policemen peacefully stopped the protest shortly after it started in front of the Hamas-dominated Palestinian Legislative Council in Gaza city. The demonstrators, nearly 30 of them, waved Palestinian and Syrian flags, with banners supporting the Syrian anti-government protest, before they left.

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Hamas' Haniyeh: Armed resistance is the only way to fight Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
February 13, 2012 - 1:00am

The only path in the Palestinian struggle against Israel is the path of armed resistance, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said during a visit to Iran on Monday, adding that the "gun is our only response to Zionist regime." Haniyeh's comments came following recent reports of a change in Hamas' declared strategy in the fight against Israel, with some of the group's officials indicating that Hamas was headed toward a path of nonviolent resistance.

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Iran urges Hamas to continue fight against Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Nasser Karimi - February 12, 2012 - 1:00am

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's leaders urged the Hamas prime minister of Gaza to continue the Islamic militant group's resistance against Israel and promised support, state TV reported on Sunday. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Hamas' Ismail Haniyeh that Iran would always stand by the Palestinian "resistance" against Israel and warned him against "compromisers." President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his part said it was Iran's "duty" to stand by the Palestinians.

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Hamas Premier Visits Iran in Sign of Strong Relations
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Fares Akram, Isabel Kershner - February 10, 2012 - 1:00am

GAZA — Ismail Haniya, the prime minister of the Hamas government in Gaza, arrived in Iran on Friday for a visit that suggested that relations between Hamas and Iran remained good despite reports of tensions over Syria.

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Palestinian unity deal a mistake: Gaza Hamas leader
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
February 12, 2012 - 1:00am

CAIRO — Senior Hamas official Mahmud Zahar slammed a Palestinian unity deal as a "mistake" that has thrown the Islamist movement into crisis, in an interview with Egypt's official MENA agency published on Sunday. Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal signed an agreement with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas earlier this month placing Abbas at the head of an interim government charged with organising elections later this year. The decision to have Abbas head the government "is a mistake," Zahar told MENA. "No one inside the Hamas movement was consulted."

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February 10th

NEWS: Palestinian officials say they will consult the Arab League on the future of talks with Israel. Fatah and the PLO support Pres. Abbas' deal with Hamas. PA security forces arrest 56 people in Israeli-controlled areas of occupied Hebron. Many Palestinian towns in “Area C” have no electricity. Extremist settlers raid a Palestinian village near Nablus. Hamas' ties with Iran are continuing to fray. Suspended PA Economy Minister Abu Libdeh and one of his aides face corruption charges. A Likud-sponsored bill in the Knesset would provide 35% tax breaks for funding "Zionist settlement," although it does not specify where. DM Barak approves more new settlement homes, which activists say amounts to a new settlement. American musician Cat Power cancels an appearance in Israel, citing Israel's policies. Anonymous hackers threaten cyber attacks against Israeli websites. COMMENTARY: The Washington Post says unless Hamas changes its policies, Palestinian national unity will do more harm than good. Yossi Sarid says Shin Bet is looking for extremists on West Bank hilltops but can find them in the Likud Central Committee. Yoel Marcus says the Herzliya Conference turned into a forum for empty “babbling” about Iran. Guy Bechor says the Arab uprisings mean the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is no longer central to Middle Eastern realities. Ziad al-Drees says the Russian and Chinese vetoes on Syria, along with continued US vetoes on Israel, show that the veto system at the UNSC is dysfunctional. George Hishmeh says money from large donors like corporations or individuals such as Sheldon Adelson show that cash still drives American elections. The Arab News welcomes the Palestinian agreement, but says moving forward will not be easy. Zvi Bar'el says the Palestinian agreement should prompt the Quartet to adopt policies designed to push Hamas towards accepting a two-state solution. Yusef Harb says Palestinian political factions must catch up with the movement of the public. Alon Ben-Meir says psychology is key to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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