March 9th

Hamas Unclear about Role in Israel-Iran Fighting ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Karin Laub - March 7, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Gaza's ruling Hamas on Wednesday sent conflicting signals on whether it would stay on the sidelines if war breaks out between Israel and Iran. A Hamas spokesman said the group didn't have enough firepower the enter a regional war, while a senior official later reportedly threatened "retaliation with utmost power." » Read more

Israel must not bind itself to Netanyahu's vulgar rhetoric on Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) March 9, 2012 - 1:00am Anyone who cares about Israel's future could not help but feel a chill upon hearing Benjamin Netanyahu's recent speech at the AIPAC conference - if not because of the gravity of the existential threat it described, then because of its sheer vulgarity and bad taste. The prime minister, as if he were no more than a surfer leaving feedback on a website, did not hesitate to crassly compare Israel today to the situation of European Jewry during the Holocaust. » Read more

Study: 37 Percent of Palestinian Women Exposed to Violence by Husbands ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 9, 2012 - 1:00am RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Some 37 percent of Palestinian women were exposed to violence by their husbands in 2011, says a new study revealed on International Women's Day. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics says the highest percentage of the phenomenon was reported in Gaza, where 58.1 percent of women were subject to violence by their husbands. The Ramallah and Al Bireh district witnessed the lowest rates of domestic violence against women for 2011, with 14.2 percent of wives exposed to violence. » Read more

Obama vs. Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Charles Krauthammer - (Opinion) March 8, 2012 - 1:00am It’s Lucy and the football, Iran-style. After ostensibly tough talk about preventing Iran from going nuclear, the Obama administration acquiesced this week to yet another round of talks with the mullahs. This, 14 months after the last group-of-six negotiations collapsed in Istanbul because of blatant Iranian stalling and unseriousness. Nonetheless, the new negotiations will be both without precondition and preceded by yet more talks to decide such trivialities as venue. » Read more

Hamas Security Forces Attack Journalists in Gaza City ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 9, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Hamas security forces attacked three journalists covering a mass wedding in Gaza City on Thursday, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said Friday. Security forces beat the reporters in a nearby playground, it said. The journalists were covering a mass wedding of 500 couples, funded by a charitable organization and in coordination with Hamas. Local media identified the journalists as Muhammad Masharawi, a reporter for Sky News, and Adnan al-Barsh of the BBC. Another journalist, Amer Abu Omar, was assaulted in the incident, witnesses said. » Read more

Should Israel Accept a Nuclear Ban? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times (Opinion) March 8, 2012 - 1:00am The strained relationship between President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu during the last few days over Israel’s threats of unilateral action against Iran has focused the world’s attention on the sensitive issue of nuclear weapons in the Middle East. Would this mess be avoided, and would Israel be safer, if Netanyahu agreed to a regional nonproliferation treaty as will be discussed at a conference in Finland later this year? Or would giving up nuclear weapons be suicidal for Israel? Why Would Jerusalem Budge? By Mya Guarnieri, blogger, +927 » Read more

Zahhar: Fatah’s Cooperation With Israel Stalling Unity ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 9, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahhar on Thursday said Fatah's cooperation with Israel was stalling national reconciliation. Hamas does not recognize Israel while Fatah, which leads the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, coordinates with Israel under agreements signed in the 1990s. Zahhar, speaking at a conference on the Arab Spring in Gaza City, said Fatah's security coordination had delayed the implementation of an agreement signed by the rival factions last May. » Read more

Israelis, like United States, wary about strike on Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Karin Brulliard - March 8, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned from a visit to Washington this week, much of the discussion here centered on traffic-light hues. Had the Israeli leader been given a red light or a green light about attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities? The general assessment was that President Obama’s signal — his appeals to give diplomacy more time and his pledges of support for Israel — fell somewhere on the spectrum between yellow and red. To many here, that probably came as a relief. » Read more

Ex-Mossad Chief Halevy: Romney’s Iran Talk is Irresponsible ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) March 7, 2012 - 1:00am WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Former Mossad chief Efraim Halevy said Mitt Romney's gibes at President Obama's Iran policy were irresponsible. "This means to an Iranian, if you will wait until another few months and there is a change in the White House, then maybe there will be trouble, so the lesson is, let's redouble our efforts to do it as quickly as we can," Halevy said in an interview with The Huffington Post posted Wednesday. "In the effort to demolish the president he is making the situation worse." » Read more

Israel’s ex-spy chief says more efforts needed before considering attack on Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press March 9, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — The recently retired head of the Mossad intelligence agency has said Israel must consider alternatives to a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, but another expert said Friday an Israeli attack could come within months. Ex-Mossad director Meir Dagan pointed to a need for caution after Israel’s prime minister hinted Israel might feel the need to attack. Among the alternative actions he suggested was supporting Iranian opposition groups working for regime change. » Read more