March 8th

Attacks and anti-Arab bigotry 'more acceptable' in Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from March 8, 2013 - 1:00am A spate of epithet-laced attacks by young Israeli Jews against Arabs indicates anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bigotry is becoming more acceptable in many sectors of Israeli society, according to rights workers. Police have arrested four people, including two minors, over the bludgeoning on Saturday of an Arab Israeli citizen on holiday with his wife in the Israeli city of Tiberius, Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported this week. » Read more

Court: PA liable for terror attack by teen in ‘03 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Yonah Jeremy Bob - March 7, 2013 - 1:00am The Tel Aviv District Court on Wednesday held the Palestinian Authority liable for NIS 1.3 million in damages for training and indirectly encouraging a 15-and-ahalf- year-old Palestinian to murder Amit Amos Monitin on June 26, 2003. The boy murdered Monitin while he was on the job as a technician for the Bezek telephone company in Baka al- Gharbiya, east of Hadera. The killer was caught, tried, convicted and is serving his sentence in Israel. » Read more

US defers activist's award amid anti-Semitic tweets ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Hilary Leila Krieger - March 8, 2013 - 1:00am The US State Department is holding off on presenting a prestigious award to Egyptian activist Samira Ibrahim after anti-US and anti- Semitic tweets from her Twitter account were uncovered. “After careful consideration, we’ve decided we should defer presenting this award to Ms. Ibrahim this year so that we have a chance to look further into these statements,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters Thursday. » Read more

Holland to label settlement goods? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Attila Somfalvi - March 7, 2013 - 1:00am The Foreign Ministry confirmed Thursday that it has obtained unofficial information regarding a Dutch directive instructing retail chains in Holland to state the origin of products from settlements. » Read more

Carl Levin won’t run again ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) March 7, 2013 - 1:00am Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), a veteran Jewish lawmaker who had major influence on defense policy, will not seek reelection. Levin, 78, was quoted Thursday by The Associated Press as saying that his decision was "extremely difficult" but that he wanted to serve out the remainder of his term, which ends in 2014, without "distraction." Levin heads the Senate's Armed Services Committee, and in that capacity has been influential in defense policy, helping to maintain record levels of defense assistance for Israel. » Read more

Lapid likely to be Israel's next finance minister, Bennett to take trade portfolio, sources say ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Jonathan Lis - March 8, 2013 - 1:00am Yesh Atid party chairman Yair Lapid will likely take the finance portfolio, sources said Friday, while Habayit Hayehudi chairman Naftali Bennett will be Israel's next Labor, Trade and Industry minister. According to the officials, Israel's new coalition will be presented at the start of the coming week. » Read more

Gaza Sees Rise in Violence And Crime ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor by Hazem Balousha - March 7, 2013 - 1:00am Violence has been rife in Gaza but reached its peak in mid-2007, when clashes erupted between political rivals Hamas and Fatah, in a battle that resembled a civil war that left many wounded and dead. The Gaza Strip has also suffered from military confrontations with Israel, not to mention the political and economic blockade, which has led to increased violence in Gazan society. » Read more

Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No 46 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Palestine News Network March 7, 2013 - 1:00am In view of the financial crisis that the Palestinian Authority (PA) suffers from due to the delay in transferring tax returns from Israel and the delay of funds from the Arab countries, strikes organized by trade unions influence everyday life in the West Bank. » Read more

Females Share of Palestinian Population of 2012 is 49.2%, says Statistics Bureau ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Palestine News Network March 8, 2013 - 1:00am The estimated population of Palestine at the end of 2012 was 4.35 million of whom 2.21 million were males and 2.14 million females. Males comprise 50.8 percent of the total population compared to 49.2 percent for females. In other words, for every 100 persons there were 49 females, a sex ratio of 103.2, said Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) Thursday on the occasion of International Woman's Day, Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported. » Read more

Large rally in Rafah in solidarity with prisoners ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 8, 2013 - 1:00am Protesters in Gaza organized a massive rally Thursday in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli jails. Participants raised Palestinian flags, and held pictures of hunger strikers. They condemned aggressive Israeli practices. Palestinian national and Islamic factions participated in the rally. Rasmi Abu al-Ainin, a member of the the Palestinian Arabic Front political office, called for implementing national unity to support the Palestinian prisoners inside Israeli jails. » Read more