March 11th

What It Will Take To Break The Stalemate ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast by Omar Baddar - (Opinion) March 8, 2013 - 1:00am After two decades of a U.S.-led “peace process,” we are no closer to achieving an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement today than we were in the early 1990s. Indeed, we’re probably much farther away now, as Israel took advantage of the so-called “peace process” to drastically expand its colonization of the occupied Palestinian territories (in direct violation of the spirit of Oslo), growing the settler population to more than 600,000 and making a viable two-state solution almost implausible. » Read more

Progress or explosion ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Emanuel Rosen - (Opinion) March 10, 2013 - 1:00am The International Monetary Fund published a report last week in praise of the Steinitz-Fayyad agreement, which, according to the IMF's experts, is the most efficient way to reinforce the economic relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, for the benefit of both sides. » Read more

PA approves plan to register UNESCO sites ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 6, 2013 - 1:00am The Palestinian Authority cabinet on Tuesday decided to form a committee to prepare applications to register sites on UNESCO's world heritage list. Omar Awadallah, the head of UN file in the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the committee's mission was to prepare heritage sites for the list to protect them from harm. Each ministry has been asked to cooperate with the UNESCO committee, and will prepare the files. » Read more

Egypt arrests Israeli citizen in Sinai ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua March 11, 2013 - 12:00am The Egyptian authorities on Sunday arrested an Israeli citizen due to sneaking into South Sinai governorate, local security sources told Xinhua. "The Israeli man, identified as Gabriel Abu Shlomo, 29, did not have any identification papers or a passport," the security sources said. According to the sources, Abu Shlomo traveled from Israel's Eilat to the Egyptian city of Taba and crossed the boarder on Saturday evening. » Read more

An Ode to Joy: President Obama has no peace plan! ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chemi Shalev - (Opinion) March 10, 2013 - 1:00am The news that President Obama has no intention of presenting a new peace plan on his upcoming visit to Israel was greeted by a collective sigh of relief that was so pronounced that it sounded like a giant roar of approval. Hallelujah, Israel is saved. Just in time for Passover, as usual. » Read more

Israeli ultra-Orthodox party's ministers boycott final cabinet meeting ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua March 10, 2013 - 1:00am The outgoing Israeli government held its final cabinet meeting on Sunday without the presence of four Haredi lawmakers. The four, members of the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party, did not show up at the meeting apparently in protest of their being excluded from incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's upcoming coalition. Netanyahu is about to reach a deadline of forming a new government following the results of the Jan. 22 elections. » Read more

Palestinians deserve justice, not apathy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by Adel Safty - (Opinion) March 10, 2013 - 1:00am John Kerry, the former presidential candidate and the veteran chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, has just returned from his first trip to Europe and the Middle East as secretary of state. At the press conference with British Foreign Secretary William Hague, Kerry gave the impression that the Middle East did not figure prominently in his discussion with Hague. In his opening statement Hague said: “Top of our agenda was the Middle East, including the importance we both attach to ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict…” » Read more

Netanyahu’s Coalition Takes Shape With Lapid, Bennett Deals ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bloomberg by Calev Ben-David - March 11, 2013 - 12:00am Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the current Cabinet for what he called its final meeting in Jerusalem today as talks to form a new ruling coalition advanced to their final stage. A major stumbling block to forming a ruling coalition was overcome when Yair Lapid, leader of the second-biggest party, Yesh Atid, agreed to become the next finance minister. » Read more

Palestinians protest against Israel's block over Palestinian family reunion ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua March 10, 2013 - 1:00am The Israeli army prevented Saturday a symbolic wedding party which aimed at protesting against the Israel's block over family reunion of the Palestinians living in West bank and Israel. The pride is a Palestinian woman from the Israeli city of Nazareth and the groom is a Palestinian young man from Ramallah. Witnesses said that the Israeli army erected blocks on the road linking Ramallah and Jerusalem to prevent the wedding convoy reaching the town of Hezma where the wedding is due to be held. » Read more

Obama's new approach to Mideast peace: Israel and Palestinians must lead, not the U.S. ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - (Opinion) March 10, 2013 - 1:00am For the past month the White House has been lowering expectations regarding U.S. President Barack Obama’s upcoming visit to Jerusalem and Ramallah. » Read more