Obama visit marks a choice for Israel: Grow up or grow old ATFP World Press Roundup Article from by Bradley Burston - (Blog) March 12, 2013 - 12:00am President Barack Obama's visit to Israel comes less than a month before Israel reaches retirement age. As Israel faces the 65th anniversary of its founding next month, the arrival of the American president marks something of a crossroads in the history and the direction of the country. » Read more

Jerusalem Arab residents contest highway route ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Diaa Hadid - March 11, 2013 - 12:00am A new Israeli highway project is threatening to add to tensions in Jerusalem by cutting through a quiet, middleclass Arab neighborhood to link a large bloc of Jewish settlements to the city. The project comes during a flurry of Israeli building in east Jerusalem, the section of the city claimed by the Palestinians as their future capital. » Read more

The eternal disputes of the Dead Sea Scrolls ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Los Angeles Times by John J. Collins - (Opinion) March 10, 2013 - 1:00am In June 1954, a small advertisement ran in the Wall Street Journal: "Biblical manuscripts dating back to at least 200 BC are for sale." The commercial offering was the start of a long and controversial path for » Read more

Israeli army helicopter crash kills 2 pilots ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Daniel Estrin - March 12, 2013 - 12:00am An Israeli military helicopter crashed on Tuesday during training, killing two pilots, the army said. According to a military statement, the army lost contact with the Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopter in the middle of the night as the aircraft was en route from a routine training flight back to an air base in southern Israel. The military said it was investigating the crash, and has grounded all similar helicopters until it can determine the cause of the crash. The two pilots killed in the crash were reservists, the army said.

World Bank: Israel restrictions impede Palestinian economy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 12, 2013 - 12:00am Israeli closures and restrictions are causing lasting damage to the competitiveness of the Palestinian economy, the World Bank said Tuesday. Israeli-imposed economic restrictions continue to constrain sustainable economic growth, a situation that is unlikely to change without political progress, according to the World Bank's latest report. The economic monitoring report warns that the Palestinian economy is in danger of losing its capacity in the global market. » Read more

PNA calls for int'l action to save Palestinian economy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua March 12, 2013 - 12:00am The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on Tuesday called for an immediate international action to stop Israeli restrictions on Palestinian economy. This call came after the World Bank issued a report warning that the continued deterioration of the Palestinian economy "will have lasting and costly implications for economic competitiveness and social cohesion." » Read more

Next few months crucial for Israeli-Palestinian peace process: UN envoy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua March 12, 2013 - 12:00am The next few months will be " make-or-break" time for the fate of the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, UN Middle East peace envoy said here Monday. "We feel that the two-state solution for the Israeli- Palestinian conflict is on life support and see 2013 as a critical year to get things moving in the stalled peace talks," Robert Serry, who has served as a special regional coordinator for the past five years, said during an event hosted by the One Voice non- governmental organization in the Tel Aviv University. » Read more

Settlers fear Obama visit spells construction freeze ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Itamar Fleishman - March 12, 2013 - 12:00am United States President Barack Obama's visit to Israel next week has sent Israeli entrepreneurs and future homeowners in the West Bank to a building frenzy, fearing the » Read more

Abbas to push PA prisoner issue during Obama visit ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Khaled Abu Toameh - March 12, 2013 - 12:00am Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has decided to place the issue of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel at the top of his agenda during the planned meeting with US President Barack Obama, a PA official in Ramallah said Monday. The official’s announcement came as families of Palestinian prisoners stepped up their protests in the West Bank, staging demonstrations and rallies calling on Abbas not to resume the peace talks unless Israel released their sons. » Read more

Is Obama Bringing a Peace Plan? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by Linda Gradstein - March 11, 2013 - 12:00am Over and over, American officials insist that President Obama has no new Israeli-Palestinian peace plan hidden in his pocket, ready to be whipped out during next week’s meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. But Palestinians hope and Israelis fear that he will try to restart a peace process that has been moribund for the past four years. » Read more