Palestinians to High Court: Israel's West Bank land claim will cut Bethlehem off from south ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - March 12, 2013 - 12:00am The Israeli government is seeking a ruling from the High Court of Justice on Wednesday that would permit it to declare ownership of a large swath of land in the West Bank settlement of Efrat. » Read more

Why Middle East Peace Is So Elusive ATFP World Press Roundup Article from by Mortimer B. Zuckerman - (Opinion) March 12, 2013 - 12:00am This month President Obama makes his first visit to Israel since he became president. His first term did not begin auspiciously in this regard, with critical remarks on settlements that pre-empted negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Indeed, in the following four years, the prospects of peace have seen only a savage deterioration. In Israel, Obama has been regarded as the least friendly U.S. president ever, and in the region the United States is perceived as having lost both interest and clout. » Read more

Economists: Extra taxes on foreign imports hasty decision ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 13, 2013 - 12:00am But economic experts believe the decision is likely to increase indirect imports through Israeli middlemen, and that will eventually support the Israeli economy and maintain stagnation in Palestine's economy. West Bank economist Mahmoud al-Jaafari highlighted that poor Palestinian families depended on goods imported from China, because they were relatively cheaper, especially goods which are not produced in Palestine. After extra taxes, he added, these products will become more expensive and poor families will be unable to find something cheap to cover their needs. » Read more

The End of the Two-State Solution: Why the window is closing on Middle-East peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New Republic by Ben Birnbaum - (Opinion) March 11, 2013 - 12:00am One Friday evening last November, Mahmoud Abbas made a rare appearance on the popular Israeli TV station, Channel 2. In his boxy suit and tie, the Palestinian president looked every bit his 77 years, his olive skin tinged with gray, his voice soft and whispery. He shifted in his seat with every answer. » Read more

The Case For Incrementalism ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Week by Martin Raffel - (Opinion) March 12, 2013 - 12:00am Secretary of State Kerry and President Obama are hitting the road to the Middle East this month, and, among other important strategic objectives, they will try to revive Israeli-Palestinian negotiations that can lead expeditiously to a permanent peace agreement. » Read more

Needed: A New Approach to Resolve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post by Robert K Lifton - (Opinion) March 12, 2013 - 12:00am The expectation that President Obama will visit Israel and the West Bank around March 20th has generated renewed focus on how he should approach the Israel-Palestinian issues. Israel's President Shimon Peres has said that the President's visit is a "good occasion" to restart the stalled peace process. At the same time, Obama's press spokesman has said, "while the President is not going with any specific peace plan in hand, the president thinks...it's in the interests of both parties, Palestinians and Israelis to pursue a peace agreement." » Read more

Israel troops shoot to death Palestinian protester ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press March 12, 2013 - 12:00am Israeli troops shot to death a Palestinian man on Tuesday after he and others hurled rocks and firebombs at them in the West Bank, the military said. The death was the latest in a new uptick in Palestinian casualties in the area, where protests in support of prisoners held in Israeli jails have led to violent clashes between the protesters and Israeli forces. The protests have largely subsided. » Read more

The three issues that could torpedo Obama's visit to Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Eric H. Yoffie - March 12, 2013 - 12:00am During President Obama’s upcoming visit to Israel, the reactions of the average American will range from mild interest to indifference.  Most Americans are not very concerned about foreign policy.  Still, they have good feelings about Israel and will likely see the trip positively. » Read more

Mr. Obama Goes to Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Thomas L. Friedman - (Opinion) March 12, 2013 - 12:00am In case you haven’t heard, President Obama leaves for Israel next week. It is possible, though, that you haven’t heard because it is hard for me to recall a less-anticipated trip to Israel by an American president. But there is a message in that empty bottle: Little is expected from this trip — not only because little is possible, but because, from a narrow U.S. point of view, little is necessary. Quietly, with nobody announcing it, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has shifted from a necessity to a hobby for American diplomats. » Read more

The Old Peace Is Dead, but a New Peace Is Possible ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ari Shavit - March 12, 2013 - 12:00am HERE is the bad news: the Old Peace is dead. It was first wounded in 1994 when, a year after the Oslo accords, Israel let Yasir Arafat, the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization, return to the West Bank, and a result was a deadly bus bombing in central Tel Aviv. » Read more