March 5th, 2013

Palestinians Pressured To Leave 'Area C' of Occupied West Bank by Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Ben Lynfield - (Opinion) March 5, 2013 - 1:00am In this village of 250 residents just north of Jerusalem, elementary school principal Khalil Abu Arqoub must choose daily between heeding the orders of Israeli military administrators and upholding the well-being of his pupils. As part of Israel’s stringent building restrictions in this area, the toilet of the Nabi Samwil Mixed Basic School, which he directs, has a demolition order against it. So does the wire fence the school erected to separate the children’s play area from cars traversing the badly potholed road from the Tomb of Samuel holy site. » Read more

US bipartisan bill to make Israel 'strategic ally' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) March 5, 2013 - 1:00am A Republican and a Democrat in the US House of Representatives introduced legislation that would make Israel a "major strategic ally," a one of a kind designation. The bill, introduced Monday by Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), was timed for the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference, and 13,000 activists are expected to lobby for it and for Iran-related bills on Tuesday. » Read more

Op-Ed: Begin was right to fire Sharon over ‘83 massacre ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) (Opinion) March 3, 2013 - 1:00am Israel's State Archives last week released the previously classified minutes of a 1983 Cabinet meeting during which the government debated the Kahan Commission’s recommendation to fire Defense Minister Ariel Sharon on account of the Sabra and Shatila massacre. The killings had taken place some months before, on Sept. 16, 1982, when 150 fighters of the Lebanese Christian Phalanges entered two Palestinian refugee camps and massacred 700 to 800 residents. The Israel Defense Forces, which controlled the area, allowed the Lebanese forces access to the camp. » Read more

European Campaign to Boycott Israeli Phone Companies in West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Palestine News Network March 4, 2013 - 1:00am Monday 4th March, Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported that labor Unions of France, Ireland, Britain, Italy, and Sweden signed an agreement to boycott illegal Israeli settlements' products, including telecommunication services in the west Bank, according to a statement by the union. The agreement, which was signed following a conference organized by the Association France Palestine Solidarity (AFPS) in Paris, discussed the Israeli settlement activities and their effect on economic, political and social life in Palestine. » Read more

Facts – review ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Michael Billington - (Theater Review) March 4, 2013 - 1:00am How do you tackle the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Most British dramatists, with the striking exception of David Hare in Via Dolorosa, shy away from it. But Canadian playwright Arthur Milner has had the bold idea of confronting some of the key issues in the form of a 90-minute police procedural; and, even if it can't cover the whole territory, the result is undeniably tense. » Read more

Abbas, Fayyad at odds over finance minister's resignation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 5, 2013 - 1:00am The opposing statements by President Mahmoud Abbas and his premier Salam Fayyad over the finance minister's resignation have stirred debates over the leaders' jurisdictions. Nabil Qassis on Saturday announced his resignation, less than a year after he was appointed to replace Fayyad as finance minister. Abbas refused the resignation, but Fayyad told the cabinet on Sunday that he had accepted it. Under Palestinian Basic Law, the prime minister is responsible for dismissing ministers or accepting their resignations. » Read more

News Analysis: Israeli PM can form new gov't before new deadline: analysts ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Adam Gonn - March 5, 2013 - 1:00am Despite the hard time over the past weeks in talks with his potential coalition partners, Israeli Prime Minister designee Benjamin Netanyahu, who has got an additional 14 days from President Shimon Peres to form a new government, can complete the task, though he kept complaining about the boycott of "certain parties," analysts say. » Read more

West Bank Buses Only The Latest In Israel's Segregated Public Transport ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast by Anna Miller - (Opinion) March 4, 2013 - 1:00am Today, Israeli bus company Afikim will begin operating a “Palestinian-only” bus service to transport Palestinian workers to central Israel. Previously, Palestinians holding permits to work in Israel would use Israeli buses to travel to work there. Now Palestinians who try to use the Israeli buses will be requested to use the Palestinian bus instead. » Read more

New routes to racism ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) March 5, 2013 - 1:00am At the beginning of the week, separate bus lines were launched for Palestinians in the territories who travel into Israel. The Transportation Ministry claims the lines are meant to ease travel conditions for the Palestinians, but they’re actually another manifestation of a regime based on discrimination and segregation. » Read more

Ramallah is Palestine ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Arabiya (Opinion) March 5, 2013 - 1:00am No other city says Palestine to me more than Ramallah. At the Kalandia checkpoint, a large Israeli sign warns visitors they are about to enter Palestinian territories and that as such their safety and security are under threat. The obvious separation wall Israel has erected is an eyesore that immediately sets a mood of desperation and isolation. The huge cement wall which Israel calls “security fence” is tall and lifeless. It separates, divides even West Bank residents from their schools and businesses. » Read more