March 8th

NEWS: A Palestinian man is shot and killed after reportedly stabbing an Israeli soldier near Hebron. Between concerns about the Arab uprisings and the Iranian nuclear program, Palestinian issues are being pushed to the sidelines. Hamas is continuing to distance itself from Iran. Israeli troops confront Palestinian protesters regarding another hunger-striking Palestinian prisoner. Israel says it's preparing its troops to fight in tunnels. Some Israelis are uncomfortable with PM Netanyahu's use of Holocaust analogies. Palestinian officials reportedly tell Jordanian officials that they will not resume negotiations without a settlement freeze. Fatah officials say talks with Hamas will not resume until their organization can operate freely in Gaza. The PLO calls on the Palestinian Election Commission to prepare to hold voting. Palestinian satirists are turning to the stage after being banned from TV. The presence of religious Orthodox Jews in the Israeli military is growing. Despite the hardships of occupation, Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza are training for the Olympics. COMMENTARY: Gideon Levy says Netanyahu is a "fear-monger." Bradley Burstyn asks if Netanyahu will be in real trouble if Pres. Obama is reelected in November. Jonathan Rosen says Obama has proven his commitment to Israel. Tareq Baconi says Hamas is trying to appeal to the Arab grassroots by identifying more with Arab Islamist movements rather than Iran. Hassan Haidar asks if Israel is more afraid of Iran or peace. Barry Rubin says the present Palestinian leadership is unlikely to want another intifada.

No calculated leadership decision
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Barry Rubin - (Opinion) March 5, 2012 - 1:00am

Is there going to be a "third intifada"? I have no idea. That is a question most likely to be determined by those who set Palestinian strategy and they will surely differ among themselves. What interests me is the basis upon which such a choice would be made. When this issue is discussed publicly, it is attributed almost entirely to the idea that frustration will motivate revolt. This is certainly the point made by Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization leaders. The argument is that unless they get their way diplomatically, violence will be the logical outcome.

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What Scares Israel: Iran or Peace?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat
by Hassan Haidar - (Opinion) March 8, 2012 - 1:00am

The same boring theater play repeats itself every year, as the Jewish American lobbying group AIPAC holds its annual conference: Benjamin Netanyahu, or any Prime Minister of Israel, expresses his resentment and indignation at the stifling role played by the United States to prevent the Hebrew State from directing a military strike against Iran; and Barack Obama, or any other US President, finds no way to appease his ally and ease the latter’s “frustration” but to offer Israel additional military and economic aid, renew his commitment to its “sacrosanct” security, and refrain from raising the t

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Hamas is making a tactical appeal to the grassroots
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Tareq Baconi - (Opinion) March 8, 2012 - 1:00am

Hamas officials have said that in the event of a war between Iran and Israel, they will not become involved on Tehran's side. While this is not surprising, other officials within the movement were quick to deny such reports. Historically, Hamas has always gone to great lengths to assert its independence from any foreign influence. It is widely recognised that it receives support from powers such as Syria (until recently) and Iran. Yet this has never been worn as a badge of honour by the movement.

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Inside Out: Obama’s commitment to Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Jonathan Rosen - (Opinion) March 7, 2012 - 1:00am

US President Barack Obama took the opportunity of his speech at the AIPAC policy conference on Sunday to reiterate his administration’s unequivocal commitment to Israel’s security and right to self-defense. He said, “My administration’s commitment to Israel’s security has been unprecedented. Our military and intelligence cooperation has never been closer. Our joint exercises and training have never been more robust... Israel must always have the ability to defend itself, by itself, against any threat.”

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If Obama wins in November, is Netanyahu in trouble?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Bradley Burston - (Opinion) March 7, 2012 - 1:00am

There is something in the air. Something new. Something as recent as this week's AIPAC conference. And for Benjamin Netanyahu, it's not something to be desired. American conservatives have begun to think out loud that Barack Obama will win in November. Citing the GOP's disastrous showing in the 1964 presidential election, influential Washington Post columnist George Will suggested this week in a tone of some resignation ("the Presidency is not everything") that conservatives might better use their energies by concentrating instead on Congressional and Senate races.

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Netanyahu, our savior the fearmonger
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Gideon Levy - (Opinion) March 8, 2012 - 1:00am

If it looks like a duck (frightened), walks like a duck (spreading anxiety), quacks like a duck (disseminating dread), then it must be a duck (a frightened fearmonger). Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who quacked his fearmongering speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee convention on Tuesday, proved yet again that Israel has never had a statesman quite like him - a statesman who has built his career on being an alarmist, and who boasts an impressive record of incessant, decades-long fearmongering.

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Despite hardships, Palestinians train for Olympics
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Ibrahim Barzak - March 8, 2012 - 1:00am

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Darting down the bumpy streets of Gaza wearing a cheap pair of running shoes, Palestinian athlete Bahaa al-Farra dodges potholes and traffic as he trains to compete against the world's best athletes at the London Olympics. Although an Olympic medal is highly unlikely, the 400-meter runner takes to the city streets for about three hours a day, speeding down crowded avenues in the morning before hitting the gym in the afternoon. "It's not easy to be an athlete in Gaza," al-Farra said.

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In Israeli military, a growing orthodoxy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Dan Williams - March 7, 2012 - 1:00am

JERUSALEM — Roni Daniel saw the writing on the wall in a toilet. A former infantry commander who fought in three Middle East wars and now the dean of Israeli defence correspondents, Daniel recently visited military headquarters in Tel Aviv. There, a urinal that uses a motion detector to clean itself was signposted: “Forbidden on the Sabbath.” Troops, he realized, were being ordered to defer to Orthodox Jewish curbs on the use of electricity between Friday night and Saturday night.

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Banned From TV, Palestinian Satirists Turn to Stage
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line
by Mohammed Najib - March 8, 2012 - 1:00am

The Riyadh Hotel for Current and Future Exiled Arab Leaders in Saudi Arabia gets a phone call. Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Salam Fayyad is on the line asking if they have any positions for accountants. “No,” the nervous receptionist answers. “We live comfortably in Saudi Arabia. Don’t come and impose taxes on us.” The satirical attack on the Palestinian leader, who has tried, unsuccessfully so far, to impose income tax on his people, was part of a new assault by a popular but harassed trio of Palestinian actors at a theatre in Ramallah on Wednesday night.

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