Hope Amidst Despair ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by Ahmad Majdoubeh - August 15, 2008 - 12:00am The demise of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, who was laid to rest on Wednesday, evokes a complex of emotions in the Palestinian people themselves, in Arabs and in all advocates of stability and peace all over the world. What can one say on such an occasion? Naturally, one wants to say a great deal. However, compared to what Darwish himself has said, what we say, no matter how elaborate and elegant, is a drop in an ocean. And that is why my advice to readers is: rather than read what people say about Darwish, read Darwish himself. It is way superior, and way more elegant. » Read more

The Murder Of Fadel Shana ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News (Editorial) August 15, 2008 - 12:00am THERE has been worldwide condemnation by journalists of yet another decision by an Israeli military tribunal to clear Israel troops of killing journalists. The death in April of Reuters cameraman Fadel Shana while filming an Israeli tank during an incursion into Gaza roused media protests that Israeli soldiers were deliberately targeting members of news organizations sent to cover their activities. » Read more

Jaffa Pool Restricts Entry Of Arab Residents ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Omer Ori - August 15, 2008 - 12:00am Jewish and Arab relations in the city of Jaffa have always been tense, and Jewish residents' committees of some of Jaffa's neighborhoods have decide to do something about it, at least where the city pool is concerned: They rent out the pool every two weeks – to Jews only. "There was quite a bit of violence at the pool on the Arab residents' part and we had to figure out what to do," said a source familiar with the subject. » Read more

Clinton says two-state solution 'inescapable' for Middle East ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times by James Hider - March 4, 2009 - 1:00am Hillary Clinton threw herself into the turmoil of the Middle East crisis yesterday by backing the creation of a Palestinian state despite opposition from the incoming Israeli Government. The US Secretary of State also dispatched high-level envoys to Syria to discern the opportunities for regional talks. » Read more

Clinton Says She Pressed for Gaza Border Opening ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Mark Landler - March 4, 2009 - 1:00am A day after announcing a new diplomatic initiative in the Middle East, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled here Wednesday to show support for the Palestinian Authority, saying she had pressed the Israeli government to open border crossings to war-torn Gaza. “We have obviously expressed concern about the border crossing,” Mrs. Clinton said after a meeting with the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. “We want humanitarian aid to get into Gaza in sufficient amounts to help alleviate the suffering of the people in Gaza.” » Read more

Abbas Urges Iran to Stop 'Interfering' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) March 4, 2009 - 1:00am Iran must stop interfering in Palestinian affairs, president Mahmud Abbas said on Wednesday after talks with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "We are sending a message to the Iranians and others -- stop interfering in our affairs," he said. "They are interfering only to deepen the rift between Palestinians." Abbas spoke on the same day that Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for world Muslims to join the Palestinian "resistance" against Israel at the start of a two-day summit in support of Hamas-run Gaza. » Read more

"If We Could, We'd Be Building Like Crazy" ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Slate by Linda Gradstein - March 4, 2009 - 1:00am Elianna Passentin says she moved from her native California to this settlement deep in the heart of the West Bank because she wanted to raise her six children in a place tied to Jewish history. "Looking out our windows, we see Tel Shilo, which was the capital of the Israelite kingdom for 359 years and the site of the Tabernacle," she says. "In our garden we found dozens of pottery shards from the time of the Bible. Our children learn [the] Bible at home and then they see the Bible out their window." » Read more

Arab Foreign Ministers on the Gaza Conference ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Sawsan Abu-Husain - March 3, 2009 - 1:00am In statements to Asharq Al-Awsat, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem explained the importance of the positive atmosphere in the Arab arena, especially with regard to Arab and Palestinian reconciliation, and stressed that nothing disturbs [Arab] relations. Meanwhile the Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid Bin-Ahmad Al Khalifa, said that the issue of the crisis with Iran has been put on the agenda of the Arab League Council of Ministers, because it is an issue that concerns all Arabs; but he insisted that Bahrain has been assured [by Iran] that the incident will not be repeated. » Read more

Stop Israel's expansionist plan ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News (Opinion) March 3, 2009 - 1:00am As the international donors for Gaza gathered on Monday to discuss rebuilding the devastated Gaza Strip, it was revealed by the Israeli group Peace Now that Israel is planning to expand colonies in the West Bank. There are now plans to build more than 70,000 illegal homes on the occupied Palestinian land. » Read more

Housing Min. slams 'baseless' report of 73,000 new settlement homes ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz March 4, 2009 - 1:00am Housing Minister Ze'ev Boim on Wednesday called a report released earlier this week over a government plan to build more than 73,300 new housing units in the West Bank "delusional and baseless." "There are a total of 11,530 housing units in Judea and Samaria that were approved by Housing and Construction institutions," Boim told Knesset. "The report about 73,000 housing units is delusional and baseless." » Read more