March 4th, 2013

On the IDF's most wanted list: A Palestinian shepherd and two baby goats ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - March 3, 2013 - 1:00am If it weren’t for the nudniks of Ta'ayush – a group of Israelis active in the southern West Bank – this story would be yet another unwritten chapter in the chronicles of the hostile rule, another grain of dust from the daily fallout of toxins we're addicted to. » Read more

Gaza: Gunfire Erupts Along Border With Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - March 1, 2013 - 1:00am Palestinians fired at an Israeli military jeep along the Gaza border on Friday, hitting the vehicle but causing no injuries, and three Palestinian protesters were wounded by Israeli fire during disturbances alon » Read more

Gaza Hamas rulers to start campaign to catch spies ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press March 4, 2013 - 1:00am Gaza's Hamas rulers say they will begin a new campaign to find Palestinian collaborators with Israel. Col. Mohammed Lafi of Gaza's Interior Ministry said Monday that the campaign aims to protect Palestinian militant groups battling Israel. Lafi says they will also warn other Palestinians of the dangers of spying. Israel security officials have long relied on a network of informants in the Palestinian territories to keep tabs on militants. » Read more

Kerry scolds Turkish leader for comment about Zionism ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Anne Gearan - March 1, 2013 - 1:00am Secretary of State John F. Kerry scolded Turkey’s leader Friday for likening Zionism to a “crime against humanity,” saying such remarks complicate efforts to forge Mideast peace. » Read more

Kerry and Abbas hold surprise meet in Riyadh to discuss Israeli-Palestinian talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Jack Khoury, Barak Ravid - March 4, 2013 - 1:00am U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met for unplanned talks on Monday afternoon, as part of their coinciding visits to Saudi Arabia. Abbas' own trip to the capital Riyadh to meet King Abdullah was unexpected, and may have been coordinated to overlap with Kerry's. The lunch meeting, which was added to Kerry's schedule at the last-minute on Monday morning, focused on efforts to resume the diplomatic process between Israel and the Palestinians and on U.S. President Barack Obama's upcoming visit to the region. » Read more

Things you can't see from DC ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Giora Eiland - (Opinion) March 4, 2013 - 1:00am US President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry are expected to visit the region together in late March to try and promote an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. It is amazing to see how American policy has not changed in 20 years. Each administration creates expectations regarding a solution to the conflict without reassessing it and asking the basic question: Why have the peace efforts failed so far?   » Read more

Palestinian finance minister quits in budget dispute ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Nidal al-Mughrabi - March 3, 2013 - 1:00am Palestinian Finance Minister Nabil Qassis announced his resignation on Sunday, saying the government had failed to address a gaping budget deficit. "No decision has been taken to lower the deficit substantially, and on the contrary it is growing ahead of ratifying the (2013) budget," Qassis said in comments to al-Ayyam newspaper explaining his reasons for quitting. Prime Minister Salam Fayyad told cabinet members he had accepted Qassis's resignation. » Read more

Can Obama make a substantive contribution to peace? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Larry Snider - (Opinion) March 3, 2013 - 1:00am There are countless traps laid out like a mine field awaiting the return of Barack Obama to substantive engagement in the peace process that will commence with his upcoming visit to Jerusalem, Ramallah and Amman. Peace and the search for peace have failed presidents, prime ministers, diplomats, pundits and activists of every conceivable stripe. What can change in 2013 to make peace achievable? » Read more

Barak: Consider unilateral separation from West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) March 4, 2013 - 1:00am  Israel should consider unilateral steps to separate itself from the Palestinians should peace talks fail, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said. Such steps would include dismantling settlements beyond the separation barrier and maintaining a military presence in the Jordan Valley along the West Bank-Jordan border, Barak said Sunday at the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference in Washington. "We should consider unilateral steps in order to place a wedge on this extremely dangerous slippery slope to a binational state," he said. » Read more

New Israeli coalition will have to freeze construction outside settlement blocs, Netanyahu's aides say ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - March 3, 2013 - 1:00am Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu received 14 more days to form a new government Saturday, but his efforts to form a coalition seemed likely to be complicated by the likelihood of a new settlement construction freeze to improve Israel's inter » Read more