Israeli parties strike coalition deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Ian Deitch - March 14, 2013 - 12:00am Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached an agreement Thursday to form a new coalition government that is expected to try to curb years of preferential treatment for the country's ultra-Orthodox minority and may push for restarting peace efforts with Palestinians. » Read more

Intifada far off ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Hani al-Masri - (Opinion) March 14, 2013 - 12:00am Over the past few weeks an extensive discussion has been held regarding the possibility that the protest against the occupation in the West Bank will escalate into a full-blown intifada. Israel has contributed greatly to this discussion. » Read more

Netanyahu Prepares to Accept New Coalition ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Jodi Rudoren - March 14, 2013 - 12:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu planned to sign agreements on Thursday to form a government with Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett, two dynamic, first-time politicians who represent vastly different constituencies but teamed up to turn Israel’s coalition negotiations into » Read more

Israel forces launch arrest raids across West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 14, 2013 - 12:00am Israeli forces conducted arrest raids in cities and villages across the West Bank overnight Wednesday. An Israeli military spokeswoman said 19 Palestinians were arrested and taken for security questioning, but locals reported a higher number of detentions. The army spokeswoman told Ma'an that forces detained 11 people in Beit Fajjar, south of Bethlehem. » Read more

Politics clouding Obama's coming visit to Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Daniel Estrin - March 13, 2013 - 12:00am A week before President Barack Obama is set to arrive in the region, Middle East politics are already casting a cloud over the visit as Israeli and Palestinian officials plan a series of events to promote their agendas. » Read more

Palestinians Address Obama Directly with Billboard Campaign ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Kifah Zaboun - March 14, 2013 - 12:00am Ramallah, Asharq Al-Awsat—“President Obama, don’t bring your smartphone to Ramallah, you won’t have mobile access to [the] internet. We have no 3G in Palestine!” » Read more

Israel and the Palestinians Gearing up For Obama Visit ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by Diana Atallah, Linda Gradstein - March 13, 2013 - 12:00am Security and Kosher for Passover Food Preparing for a US presidential visit is a huge job. Preparing for a US presidential visit the week before Passover is an almost insurmountable task. While in Jerusalem, the President will be staying at the historic King David hotel, which used to be the site of the British headquarters during the pre-state period. In 1946, an extremist Zionist group bombed the hotel, killing 91 people. » Read more

Obama may scrap visit to Ramallah ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 14, 2013 - 12:00am US President Barack Obama could skip Ramallah during his upcoming visit to the region, a Palestinian Authority source said Wednesday. Obama will meet President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem and will spend only four hours in the West Bank during the trip, which will include a visit to the Nativity Church, said the government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. A spokesman for the US consulate in Jerusalem did not immediately return a call late Wednesday. » Read more

Israel's Demographic Destiny ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy by Aaron David Miller - March 13, 2013 - 12:00am   » Read more

The settlers will rise in power in Israel's new government ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - March 14, 2013 - 12:00am U.S. Ambassador Dan Shapiro probably sat down Wednesday to write a long cable to the White House ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to report on the new government in Israel. Aside from noting the obvious fact that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is even weaker and has become the political hostage of all of his coalition partners, Shapiro probably emphasized the dramatic rise in the power of the settlers in Netanyahu’s third government. » Read more