February 19th

Outcry over Israel soldier's photo of boy in crosshairs ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters February 19, 2013 - 1:00am An Israeli soldier has provoked an outcry by publishing a photograph that appeared to show the back of a Palestinian boy's head seen through the crosshairs of a rifle. Israel's army said on Tuesday it would hold an investigation into the conduct of the soldier, who posted the picture on the online photo-sharing website Instagram. Israeli media identified the soldier as a 20-year-old conscript serving in the occupied West Bank. » Read more

West Bank teachers to strike Sunday, Thursday ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency February 16, 2013 - 1:00am All schools across the West Bank will be on general strike Sunday and Thursday, the general union of West Bank teachers announced Saturday. Secretary of the union of south Nablus area teachers Izz Dawabsha told Ma’an the decision to go on strike was taken unanimously in a meeting the union of West Bank teachers held Saturday. The move, he said, comes to protest failure of the Palestinian government to pay January wages, highlighting that Thursday's strike will be cancelled if salaries are paid before then. » Read more

Israel: Obama to Receive Award ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Jodi Rudoren - February 18, 2013 - 1:00am President Shimon Peres plans to give President Obama a special award at a state dinner next month when Mr. » Read more

Hamas official confirms indirect talks with Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency February 17, 2013 - 1:00am Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya on Sunday confirmed that the movement is holding indirect talks with Israel over the implementation of a ceasefire deal, but insisted that they did not amount to political negotiations. Al-Hayya was commenting on a report on Israel's Channel 2 TV on Friday, which said Israeli and Hamas representatives had been negotiating for weeks. » Read more

Uproar Over Netanyahu’s Ice Cream Is Welcome in One Parlor ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - February 18, 2013 - 1:00am Israel over the weekend: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands accused of dipping into state coffers for an ice cream budget of $2,700 a year. » Read more

PNA criticizes Hamas delegation's visit to Bulgaria ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua February 17, 2013 - 1:00am The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on Sunday criticized the visit by Hamas lawmakers to Bulgaria, which was ended Friday with Bulgarian security forces kicking out the delegation. The Hamas officials, who arrived in Sofia Wednesday, did not coordinate for their visit with the PNA or the "official sides in Bulgaria," said Riad Al-Maliki, Palestinian minister of foreign affairs, "This has harmed the Palestinian-Bulgarian relations as well as our relations with Europe." » Read more

Palestinian voter registration extended for two days ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua February 18, 2013 - 1:00am The Palestinian Elections Commission (CEC) on Monday extended the registration of new voters in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank for two more days. The updating of voter registration records was supposed to end Monday, but as more people are going to the registration centers, Palestinian groups recommended the CEC to extend the period of registration, said Hisham Kuhail, the CEC executive director. » Read more

Prisoner in Israeli isolation for 2 years 'forgets speech' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency February 17, 2013 - 1:00am A Palestinian man held in solitary confinement by Israel for two years is losing his ability to recall language and has speech impairments, a lawyer who visited him in jail said Sunday. The lawyer for the Palestinian prisoners society said Dirar Abu Sisi, an engineer from Gaza, is suffering from a number of health problems in his isolation cell. Abu Sisi disappeared in February 2011 while traveling on a train in Ukraine and Israel later announced that it was holding him in a southern Israeli jail. » Read more

Israel arrests brother of Palestinian hunger-striker Issawi ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Ahram February 17, 2013 - 1:00am Israeli authorities arrested Shady Issawi, brother of Palestinian hunger-striker Samer Issawi, at dawn from his home, The Free Samer Issawi Campaign's Facebook page reported on Sunday. » Read more

Feature: Palestinian prisoner continues longest-ever hunger strike for freedom ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua February 18, 2013 - 1:00am Samer Essawi, a 34-year-old Palestinian prisoner who has been imprisoned by Israel since July 2012, went on a longest-ever hunger strike as he thinks it is the only way to struggle for his freedom. Living only on water and salt for 209 days and suffering from chronic health problems, the Palestinian from the village of Essaweyeh near east Jerusalem said in a public letter that he had never thought of giving up the hunger strike. » Read more