March 13th, 2013

Israel troops shoot to death Palestinian protester
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
March 12, 2013 - 12:00am

Israeli troops shot to death a Palestinian man on Tuesday after he and others hurled rocks and firebombs at them in the West Bank, the military said. The death was the latest in a new uptick in Palestinian casualties in the area, where protests in support of prisoners held in Israeli jails have led to violent clashes between the protesters and Israeli forces. The protests have largely subsided.

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The three issues that could torpedo Obama's visit to Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Eric H. Yoffie - March 12, 2013 - 12:00am

During President Obama’s upcoming visit to Israel, the reactions of the average American will range from mild interest to indifference.  Most Americans are not very concerned about foreign policy.  Still, they have good feelings about Israel and will likely see the trip positively.

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Mr. Obama Goes to Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Thomas L. Friedman - (Opinion) March 12, 2013 - 12:00am

In case you haven’t heard, President Obama leaves for Israel next week. It is possible, though, that you haven’t heard because it is hard for me to recall a less-anticipated trip to Israel by an American president. But there is a message in that empty bottle: Little is expected from this trip — not only because little is possible, but because, from a narrow U.S. point of view, little is necessary. Quietly, with nobody announcing it, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has shifted from a necessity to a hobby for American diplomats.

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The Old Peace Is Dead, but a New Peace Is Possible
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Ari Shavit - March 12, 2013 - 12:00am

HERE is the bad news: the Old Peace is dead. It was first wounded in 1994 when, a year after the Oslo accords, Israel let Yasir Arafat, the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization, return to the West Bank, and a result was a deadly bus bombing in central Tel Aviv.

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Is Any Hope Left for Mideast Peace?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Rashid Khalidi - March 12, 2013 - 12:00am

WHAT should Barack Obama, who is to visit Israel next Wednesday for the first time in his presidency, do about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

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March 12th

NEWS: The UN says a baby killed in Gaza during fighting last November was probably killed by a Palestinian rocket, not an Israeli attack. (New York Times) Pres. Obama meets with Arab-American groups before his trip to the Middle East. (JTA) Israel releases a tentative schedule for Obama's visit. (JTA) Israelis and Palestinians wonder what, exactly, Obama will propose during his trip. (The Media Line) Palestinian say Pres. Abbas will raise the issue of prisoners with Obama during their meeting. (Jerusalem Post) Israeli settlers are reportedly worried that Obama's visit will mean a slowdown or halt to settlement construction. (YNet) The UN says the next few months are crucial for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. (Xinhua) The PA calls for international intervention to save the Palestinian economy. (Xinhua) A new World Bank report says Israeli restrictions and closures are badly damaging the Palestinian economy. (Ma'an) An Israeli military helicopter crash kills two pilots. (AP) Palestinians are contesting the route of a new Israeli settlement highway in the occupied territories. (AP) 11 people are wounded during fighting in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. (Xinhua) The UN says Palestinian refugees in Syria face suffering and undue obstacles. (Xinhua) Palestinian women's rights activists say Palestinian men need more workshops to better understand the issues. (Ma'an) An Israeli settler attacks a Palestinian shepherd. (YNet)

COMMENTARY: Hussein Ibish says Hamas is profoundly disillusioned with the new Muslim Brotherhood government in Egypt. (Daily Beast/Open Zion) John Collins looks at controversies surrounding the Dead Sea Scrolls. (Los Angeles Times) Bradley Burston says Obama's visit sends the message to Israel that peace is a matter of now or never. (Ha'aretz) Dmitry Shumsky says PM Erdogan has confused oppressive Israeli policies with Zionism. (Ha'aretz) Noah Klieger says violent Jewish Israeli racists are a handful of hooligans. (YNet) Dalia Hatuqa says Palestinian national reconciliation seems farther off than ever. (The National) Shlomi Eldar says Hamas may be considering recognizing Israel and other measures but will have a hard time attaining respectability. (Al Monitor) Octavia Nasr talks about what she learned in Haifa. (Al Arabiya)

What the city of Haifa taught me
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Arabiya
by Octavia Nasr - (Opinion) March 12, 2013 - 12:00am

It has crossed my mind on several occasions during my lifetime that Haifa is the city I could one day live in. Diverse, lively and has a great beach.

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Is Hamas Considering Recognition Of Israel?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor
by Shlomi Eldar - (Analysis) March 11, 2013 - 12:00am

Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority are busy preparing for President Barack Obama’s visit, but as it turns out, Hamas is also keeping a close watch on the American president’s visit.

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On tape: Settler attacks Palestinian shepherd
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Elior Levy - March 11, 2013 - 12:00am

A Palestinian who was tending to his herd a few hundred meters from the Avigail outpost in the south Mount Hebron area was attacked for no apparent reason by the outpost's security officer on Saturday. The officer claimed two Palestinian children had approached the Jewish outpost.

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Palestinian unity hopes dim as Egyptian crisis grows
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Dalia Hatuqa - (Opinion) March 12, 2013 - 12:00am

The streets of Cairo have been seeing much action of late, as Egyptians rally against the government of President Mohammed Morsi. But even as that country's political landscape teeters, Palestinians have tried - fruitlessly it turns out - to make use of Egypt's reinvigorated role as a broker to reconcile Fatah and Hamas. Meetings in Cairo last month would have been hailed as a feat were it not for the fact that Palestinians have been witnessing the sad dance carried out for years between the two feuding factions: kiss and make up before exchanging blame.

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