March 7th

Netanyahu’s violent fingerprint
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Gideon Levy - March 7, 2013 - 1:00am

Benjamin Netanyahu’s children attacked an Arab cleaning man on the seaside promenade in Tel Aviv and caused him serious injuries. They attacked an Arab waiter in a Tel Aviv restaurant with chairs and their fists. They attacked an Arab from Upper Nazareth at the shore of Lake Kinneret because they heard him speaking Arabic. Netanyahu’s children waved hate-filled signs against Muslim players of the Beitar Jerusalem soccer team and set fire to its clubhouse.

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Abbas Offers Condolences to Venezuela over Chavez's Death
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Palestine News Network
March 7, 2013 - 1:00am

On Wednesday 7th March, President Mahmoud Abbas mourned the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and offered his condolences to the Venezuelan people and government on behalf of the Palestinians, Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported. Abbas said, in a statement, that the Palestinians had lost a friend who passionately defended their right to freedom.

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Israel arrests 2 Palestinians in West Bank raids
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
March 7, 2013 - 1:00am

The Israeli army detained at least six Palestinians from cities and towns across the occupied West Bank early Wednesday, relatives and security officials said. Soldiers raided the house of 20-year-old Walid Mohammed Ajouli in the village of Qaffin north of Tulkarem, detaining him on the scene. The detainee’s family said Walid had heart problems. An army spokeswoman said six Palestinians were detained overnight.

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Egypt's tunnel closures hit Gaza builders
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Nidal al-Mughrabi - March 7, 2013 - 1:00am

Business was booming for Gaza brick-maker Yasser Qreqea, until neighboring Egypt shut down smuggling tunnels across its border that were funneling arms to militants in the territory and cement and other basic goods to everyone else. Overnight the price of building materials soared in the Gaza Strip, hitting Qreqea's key customers and, industry sources said, slowing the construction of apartments, roads and houses across the enclave run by Hamas.

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Palestinian leadership not to revive peace talks before Obama's visit: official
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
March 6, 2013 - 1:00am

The Palestinian leadership has no intentions to revive peace talks with Israel ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama's Middle East trip this month, a Palestinian official said Wednesday. "The Palestinian-U.S. contacts to prepare for Obama's visit were limited to explaining the Palestinian position and the requirements of resuming peace process," said Mohammed Ishteya, a member of the Palestinian negotiating team.

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INSIGHT-Palestinian street boils at plight of prisoners
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Noah Browning - March 7, 2013 - 1:00am

In a sprawling Israeli prison, Palestinian activist Hassan Karajeh sat through a hurried court hearing in a language he didn't understand under the authority of a military occupation he and his people reject. The translator in the cramped portacabin-turned-courtroom seldom bothered to relay the military judge's words, and the tall, bearded detainee spent most of the time whispering to his family and blowing kisses to his young fianc?e.

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Hamas's ban on women running Gaza marathon is a missed opportunity
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Nabila Ramdani - March 6, 2013 - 1:00am

Anyone who takes part in a long-distance run knows there will be plenty of problems to overcome, but the Gaza marathon was always going to be in an endurance class of its own. When I registered for this year's race, my concerns were certainly less about my personal training schedule than about global conflict. The length of the blighted Palestinian territory is slightly shorter than the 26 miles and 385 yards required for an official marathon course, making its densely packed population particularly vulnerable to military action by its neighbour Israel.

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East Jerusalem woman wounded by Israeli Border Police fire
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amira Hass - March 6, 2013 - 1:00am

An East Jerusalem woman sustained a serious injury to her jaw last week from a foam-tipped plastic bullet fired by a Border Police officer in an incident whose particulars are in dispute. According to a police spokesman the incident, in the East Jerusalem village of Silwan, began when one young woman was arrested by the Border Police. He said residents began throwing rocks at the arresting officers from nearby rooftops, in response to which “the forces fired three foam-tipped bullets.” But residents insist that no rocks were thrown at the officers.

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Palestinians: Protester dies of wounds
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
March 7, 2013 - 1:00am

The family of a Palestinian man who was shot in the head two weeks ago by Israeli troops says he has died of his wounds. Palestinians say the 22-year-old Mohammed Asfour was struck in the head by a rubber-coated bullet during an anti-Israel demonstration in the West Bank on Feb. 22. The crowd had been demonstrating in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners held by Israel when clashes erupted. Asfour's cousin, Thaer Shalatwa, says his skull was fractured and he had been suffering from bleeding in the brain.

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March 5th

NEWS: Israelis are divided, others outraged, over new segregated bus lines for Jews and Arabs in the occupied West Bank. (New York Times/CSM) Pres. Abbas reportedly urges Sec. Kerry to pressure Israel on settlements at a meeting in Saudi Arabia yesterday. (Jerusalem Post) VP Biden and PM Netanyahu stress points of unity at the AIPAC conference. (New York Times) Netanyahu calls for a "credible military threat" against Iran. (Xinhua) UNRWA cancels a Gaza marathon after Hamas bans women runners. (AP) A settler rabbi who promoted peace has passed away. (AP) The PA says settlers have built a new wildcat outpost near Nablus. (Ma'an) Analysts believe Netanyahu probably can form a new government in his two week extended window. (Xinhua) PM Fayyad and Abbas issue conflicting statements about the resignation of finance minister Qassis. (Ma'an) Palestinians say some European labor unions may have agreed to boycott Israeli settlements. (PNN) A bill is introduced in Congress describing Israel as "a major strategic ally" and solidifying aspects of the relationship. (Jerusalem Post) Hamas scolds protesters that self immolation is "un-Islamic." (Al Monitor)

COMMENTARY: Dennis Ross suggests a series of unilateral and bilateral steps Israel and the Palestinians could take to improve conditions for peace. (New York Times) Noam Sheizaf offers his critique of Ross' suggestions. (+972) Moshe Arens says Israel should tear down the West Bank separation barrier. (Ha'aretz) Akiva Eldar looks at a new book by Elie Podeh that examines real opportunities for peace that have been missed and ones that were illusory. (Al Monitor) Octavia Nasr says that, to her, Ramallah sums up Palestine. (Al Arabiya) Ha'aretz says the new segregated bus lines in the occupied West Bank are the road to racism. (Ha'aretz) Anna Lekas Miller says the separate buses are only the latest in segregated public transportation in the occupied Palestinian territories. (Daily Beast/Open Zion) Omar Shaban says there are large gas reserves off the coast of Gaza, but Palestinians aren't in a position to benefit from them. (Al Monitor) Michael Billington looks at a new play about Israel's occupation. (The Guardian) Ari Afilalo says newly released archives show PM Begin was right to fire DM Sharon over the 1983 Sabra and Shatila massacre. (JTA) Ben Lynfield asks if Israel is pressuring Palestinians to leave "Area C" in preparation for formal annexation. (The Forward) A Palestinian couple in California explain why they decided to open a Palestinian restaurant following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. (San Francisco Chronicle) APN interviews Yossi Alpher on recent developments in Israel. (APN) Matt Hill says many people depict the complex Israeli-Palestinian conflict in reductive, simplistic terms. (The Daily Telegraph)


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