March 20th

Palestinian President Affirms Rejection Of Approving Parliamentary Bills ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Kuwait News Agency (kuna) March 20, 2008 - 6:29pm Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas affirmed on Thursday his firm opposition to approve or sign any bill forwarded by the Palestinian legislative assembly. The official spokesman of the president said in a statement that Abbas based his unwavering rejection on the constituent law of the parliament regarding legality of the sessions. He added that the president would not alter this stance on the basis that the council's sessions lacked the legal quorum for drafting bills. » Read more

Israel Demolishes Palestinian Homes In West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times March 20, 2008 - 6:28pm Israeli bulldozers, backed by armed troops, have destroyed five homes in an Israeli-controlled section of the West Bank. The Israeli military said the houses were demolished because they had been built without construction permits. Israeli human rights groups say few building applications are ever granted. That forces Palestinians to build without approval. » Read more

In Praise Of Al-jazeera ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Avi Weinberg - (Opinion) March 20, 2008 - 6:25pm   Several journalists in Israel immediately stood up to defend the Arab network and condemn the boycott, and this condemnation is indeed justified, because it is improper for a government to limit journalists even if their reports are not to the liking of some cabinet members. Yet al-Jazeera does not need this protection: It can easily continue to report even without Israel’s official spokespersons appears on its shows. In order to document what’s happening on the ground there is no need to interview tie-wearing officials who utter sophisticated messages. » Read more

Erakat Warns Pa Could Fall Apart If Peace Fails To Break Out This Year ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) March 20, 2008 - 6:23pm OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat warned Wednesday that failure to reach a peace deal with Israel this year could lead to a collapse of the Palestinian Authority. "If we fail to produce an agreement in 2008 ... we may disappear," Erakat said. "The impact will not be limited to Israel and the Palestinians," he warned. "Watch the region." » Read more

Palestinian Rivals' Talks 'fail' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bbc News March 20, 2008 - 6:21pm Talks between rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have collapsed, Palestinian Authority and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas has said. Both sides blamed each other for the failure of the discussions, which took place in Sanaa, in Yemen. Mediators called for Gaza to be returned to the control of a national unity government and new elections. Fatah and Hamas admit their feud is damaging the Palestinian cause but will not yet compromise, correspondents say. » Read more

Mccain Backs Israeli Reprisals In Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Ian Deitch - March 20, 2008 - 6:19pm Touring a war-battered town, Sen. John McCain said Wednesday he understands Israel's tough response to Palestinian rocket fire, adding that there is no point in negotiating with the Gaza Strip's Islamic Hamas regime. The Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting also praised the moderate Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, saying he is committed to reaching a peace deal with Israel — though McCain is not meeting Palestinians this time. » Read more

Israeli Offensive Boosts Hamas In Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Financial Times by Tobias Buck - (Opinion) March 20, 2008 - 6:14pm Hamas, the Islamist Palestinian group, has emerged from the recent Israeli offensive against its stronghold in the Gaza Strip more deeply entrenched and with broader public backing than before, according to independent analysts and a poll published this week. » Read more

March 19th

Racist? Us? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Avirama Golan - (Opinion) March 19, 2008 - 7:32pm The television interview conducted by Orly Vilnai Federbush on Monday with Dmitri Bogotich - the head of a local "neo-Nazi gang," who later fled to Moscow - constituted good journalism under conditions of real risk. But more than the conversation revealed a violent criminal, it revealed the authorities' weakness in dealing with the case. » Read more

Stalemate Is Increasing Hamas' Popularity ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Rami Khouri - (Opinion) March 19, 2008 - 7:31pm The likelihood of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks making real progress this year is very slim, but that does not keep the parties from meeting and making hopeful statements. US President George W. Bush's planned trip to Israel in May looms for many as a critical moment when any progress toward a permanent peace accord will have to be clear. » Read more

Caught In A Vicious Cycle Of Violence ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Middle East Times by Alon Ben-meir - March 19, 2008 - 7:28pm The killing by Israeli undercover troops of four Palestinian militants in Bethlehem on March 12, raises questions not as much about Israel's right to self-defense but about the context and the circumstances under which this right is exercised. Even the right to self-defense and matters of national security must be balanced against the prevailing conditions. » Read more