May 18th

Israel wants Olympic silence for Munich
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent
by Donald MacIntyre - May 18, 2012 - 12:00am


Israel urged the international community yesterday to overturn the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) “unacceptable” rejection of its request for a minute’s silence during London 2012 in memory of the 11 athletes murdered at the 1972 Munich games.


N. Cyprus warns Israel against airspace violations
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
May 18, 2012 - 12:00am


Northern Cyprus on Thursday warned Israel against violating its airspace, Anatolia news agency reported, just one day after Israel was accused of violating northern Cypriot airspace. According to the report, Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu phoned Israel's ambassador to Cyprus over this issue, warning him against repeated offenses.


Israeli NGO: Police beat handcuffed detainees in Palestinian solidarity protest
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Akiva Eldar - May 18, 2012 - 12:00am


The Justice Ministry has received complaints of severe police violence against demonstrators, including the use of Taser electroshock weapons, beating and kicking bound detainees, racist verbal abuse and sexual harassment of female detainees. The complaints were filed to the ministry's department for investigation of police officers by the Adalah advocacy group two weeks ago, after a demonstration in support of hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners outside the prison clinic in Ramle.


Palestinians see settlements thwarting state
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Samia Nakhoul - May 18, 2012 - 12:00am


JERUSALEM, May 18 (Reuters) - Surrounded by aides, including one whose only task seems to be light his cigarettes, Mahmoud Abbas sits in a vast presidential office and speaks of his ambition to create a Palestinian state. But outside his sprawling compound on the hills of the West Bank town of Ramallah reality on the ground is different - his dream is being built over by ever-expanding Jewish settlements.


Abu Marzouq: Hamas and Fatah to meet in Cairo
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
May 18, 2012 - 12:00am


BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The leaderships of Hamas and Fatah will meet in Cairo next week to revive their stalled reconciliation agreement, the deputy head of Hamas' politburo said Friday. Moussa Abu Marzouq told the London-based newspaper Al-Hayat that the meeting would focus on the long-awaited unity government which the parties had pledged to form to prepare for elections.


Abbas amends election law by decree
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
May 18, 2012 - 12:00am


RAMALLAH (Ma’an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday issued an executive order amending the 2005 election law as a precursor to holding a municipal vote sooner than scheduled, an official said. The minister of local governance, Khaled Qawasmi, told Voice of Palestine radio that the decree would help the new government take a decision to hold elections "as soon as possible." He added that the law would allow holding an election in more than one stage in case more than a day was needed.


Interpol 'refuses to help' in Arafat adviser case
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
May 18, 2012 - 12:00am


BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Interpol is refusing to cooperate with Palestinian prosecutors to summon a former presidential economic adviser to the West Bank to answer corruption charges, the attorney-general said Friday. Ahmad al-Mughni told Ma'an that Muhammad Rashid, who served former President Yasser Arafat, has failed to respond to repeated summons.


May 17th

NEWS: PM Fayyad reshuffles the PA cabinet. US Amb. to Israel Shapiro says the US is prepared to attack Iranian nuclear facilities if it decides to, although it prefers to continue negotiations. Questions begin to emerge about how much effect Israel's new coalition will have on moving its policies towards the political center. In spite of the agreement between Israel and Palestinian prisoners, seven still remain on hunger strike. Occupation forces arrest a Palestinian TV producer and confiscate his equipment. Seven Palestinians are injured by Israeli artillery fire in Gaza. The PA says it will hold municipal elections in the West Bank even without the cooperation of Hamas in Gaza. The Israeli military demolishes two small “unauthorized” settlement outposts. The Independent profiles the plight of Palestinian villagers in a border area designated as a military zone by Israel. According to an annual BBC poll, Israel's negative international image continues to decline, outstripped only by Iran and Pakistan, and coming in jointly third with North Korea. COMMENTARY: Ari Shavit says Palestinians must recognize the Jewish narrative and grand catastrophe in order for Israelis to reciprocate. Ha'aretz says Israel must change its attitude towards Palestinian prisoners. Roni Schocken says Israel's “Nakba Law” is an attack on human rights. Jonathan Rosen says that over time the question of Palestinian refugee return has become more an abstract principle than a specified demand. Jessica Montell says Israel must find a new way of dealing with Palestinian “administrative detainees.” Bernard Avishai says that by insisting on a distinction between Jewish nationality and Israeli citizenship, Israel has yet to fully recognize itself. Jamal Muqbel says peace seems farther off than ever. Amr Ezzat recounts his experiences attending a recent literary festival in Gaza. Aaron David Miller says Israel's plummeting international image isn't primarily due to a campaign of delegitimization, but its own policies and actions. Hussein Ibish asks if the new Israeli coalition government is really going to break from the hard-line positions, especially on settlement outposts, of the previous one.

Is Israel united in obstruction?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from NOW Lebanon
by Hussein Ibish - (Opinion) May 15, 2012 - 12:00am


The new coalition government suddenly formed last week by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the new leader of the Kadima party, Shaul Mofaz, remains something of a mystery. It is essentially a deal between two men, not two parties. Only Netanyahu and Mofaz really know the terms under which they joined forces. 


Israel's Image Revisted
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy
by Aaron David Miller - (Opinion) May 16, 2012 - 12:00am


Writing in the Wall Street Journal this week on the occasion of Israeli Independence Day, Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren penned a powerful op-ed on the erosion of Israel's image. His conclusion: Israel's image has deteriorated in large part because of a "systematic delegitimization of the Jewish state."



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