May 7th

Netanyahu will win the elections, with Obama's help ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) May 7, 2012 - 12:00am Israel's upcoming elections will not be a referendum over destroying Iran's nuclear facilities. Yuval Diskin, the former head of the Shin Bet security service, is not the only person who claims that an Israeli attack will, at best, delay the development of an Iranian bomb by two years. Dennis Ross, who was a senior adviser to U.S. President Barack Obama, recently voiced a similar assessment and warned that a move like that would stiffen the ayatollahs' necks even more. » Read more

The Visionary ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New Republic by Ben Birnbaum - (Opinion) May 4, 2012 - 12:00am If you were to pinpoint one moment when it looked as if things just might work out for Salam Fayyad, the Palestinian prime minister, it would probably be February 2, 2010. That day, Fayyad addressed the annual Herzliya Conference, a sort of Israeli version of Davos featuring high-powered policymakers and intellectuals. It is not a typical speaking venue for Palestinians; yet Fayyad was warmly received. » Read more

Fatah says Cairo meetings with Hamas over reconciliation failed ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA) May 7, 2012 - 12:00am The recent meetings with Hamas held in Cairo accomplished nothing toward Palestinian reconciliation, Fatah central committee member Azzam al-Ahmed said Monday. Egyptian officials and Hamas leaders held several meetings to consider ways to achieve reconciliation between Palestinian factions, Ahmed told the official Palestinian radio. Hamas has not yet responded. » Read more

The Battle for Arafat's Secret Archive ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Yedioth Ahronoth by Smadar Peri - May 3, 2012 - 12:00am Piles of documents revealing the activities of Yasser Arafat, the iconic chairman of the Palestinian Authority, are presently held in Tunis. Sources familiar with the material say that the documents constitute true archival treasures, as they include fascinating information on the planning of attacks, funding sources of terror organizations and contacts with political and security figures in Israel. The current chairman of the PA, Mahmoud Abbas, is demanding to receive the documents. » Read more

Palestinian policewomen break traditional stereotypes ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News by Farhana Dawood - May 7, 2012 - 12:00am It is rare to see women police officers on the streets in any part of the Arab world. But in the Palestinian territories where civil police are themselves, a relatively new concept, concerted efforts are under way to bring more women into the force. In Hebron, the West Bank's biggest city, there are now about 50 women among the 900 police officers deployed locally. Their presence challenges stereotypes but it is traditional values that make it necessary. » Read more

'Undercover Israeli combatants threw stones at IDF soldiers in West Bank' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chaim Levinson - May 7, 2012 - 12:00am Undercover soldiers hurled stones in the "general direction" of IDF soldiers as part of their activity to counter weekly demonstrations in the Palestinian village of Bil'in, the commander of the Israeli Prison Service's elite "Masada" unit revealed during his recent testimony in the trial of MK Mohammed Barakeh (Hadash). Barakeh has been charged with assaulting a border guard in Bil'in who was attempting to arrest a demonstrator. » Read more

Fatah official: Fayyad will keep PM post after reshuffle ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency May 7, 2012 - 12:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad said Sunday that current Palestinian Authority premier Salam Fayyad is certain to remain head of the government after the coming ministerial reshuffle. President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to announce the new cabinet by Tuesday, his adviser said earlier. Al-Ahmad confirmed earlier reports that Fayyad will keep the prime ministerial post. He cautioned about any discussion about elections, calling it "premature". » Read more

Israel considering razing homes of Palestinian convicts ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua May 7, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency has recommended to the defense ministry the demolition of the homes of two Palestinians convicted of murder in a West Bank settlement a year ago, The Jerusalem Post reported on Sunday. On March 11, 2011, Amjad Awwad, 19, and his cousin, Hakim Mazen Awwad, 18, broke into the Fogel family's house in Itamar settlement southeast of Nablus and killed the sleeping husband and wife and their three children. » Read more

Hunger intifada? Palestinian prisoners wield new-old tool against Israel. ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Rebecca Collard - May 4, 2012 - 12:00am As many as 2,000 Palestinian prisoners – nearly half of the 4,500 Palestinians currently in Israeli jails – have launched a mass hunger strike that is gaining momentum and putting pressure on Israel to review prisoner demands. » Read more

Israeli court rules against Palestinian hunger strikers ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Ali Sawafta - May 7, 2012 - 12:00am RAMALLAH, WEST BANK May 7 (Reuters) - Israel's Supreme Court turned down on Monday an appeal by two Palestinians, who have been on hunger strike for the past 70 days, to free them from detention without trial. But in its decision, released by the Justice Ministry, the court said security authorities should consider freeing them for medical reasons. » Read more