The Upsides of the Siege for Hamas: An Honest Assessment ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post by Hani Almadhoun - (Blog) January 26, 2010 - 1:00am Spending more than four months in Gaza with not much to do but observe the situation on the ground, I interacted with the Palestinian people in Gaza, listened to Israeli jets fly over, noticed minimal Israeli military campaigns against Hamas, and did not see nor hear news of any significant homemade rockets. One cannot help but conclude that there is a sort of unspoken ceasefire between Hamas, the local ruling party, and the Israelis. » Read more

At the centre of peace efforts ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by Daoud Kuttab - (Opinion) January 28, 2010 - 1:00am As negotiators and politicians wonder who needs to do what before moving, it is clear that all good minds and good people should focus on one issue: how to resolve the conflict over Jerusalem. If the 1980s and 1990s witnessed a relatively nonviolent first Palestinian uprising and a breakthrough mutual recognition between the PLO and Israel, the first 10 years of the third millennium were violent and destructive. The decades-long hard work and sacrifice of Palestinians, Israelis and international supporters of peace evaporated almost overnight. » Read more

Where the problem lies ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times (Editorial) January 28, 2010 - 1:00am Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad is right to warn Europeans that the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, such as it is, is headed for failure. He is also absolutely right in his prescription. Israel is not serious about finding an equitable solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict; until such time, talks are pointless. Moreover, while building the institutions of state is an important task and one that Europeans have been particularly keen on supporting, it is not an alternative to ending the occupation. This is a message that Europeans would do well to heed. » Read more

Gaza fishermen risk lives for survival ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Erin Cunningham - January 27, 2010 - 1:00am While the rest of the Gaza Strip is deep in slumber, Fathi Sayadi, 30, and his brother, Hatem, 26, steal away under the cover of darkness and into neighbouring Egyptian waters. Using small, dinghy-style boats purchased especially for their covert missions, the Sayadis slip across the border with Egypt, returning to the Gaza Strip with their contraband just before dawn. » Read more

Algeria v Egypt clash is dividing Palestinian supporters ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Omar Karmi - January 27, 2010 - 1:00am It may only be a football game and it does not even involve their own team. Even so, Palestinians will be eagerly awaiting the Algeria versus Egypt clash tonight in the semi-final of the African Cup of Nations, and support will be divided and highly partisan. The game is a repeat of the two countries’ highly charged World Cup qualification games two months ago, when violence flared causing Egypt to withdraw its ambassador from Algeria. The two countries have since mended relations, but a footballing rivalry that dates back decades will not be quelled so easily. » Read more

Israelis To Move Security Barrier At Site of Palestinian Protests ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Nathan Jeffay - January 27, 2010 - 1:00am Two-and-a-half years after a Supreme Court order, Israel’s army is preparing to adjust the route of the long security barrier it has constructed on the West Bank at a key flashpoint where a fence cuts off Palestinian villagers from their own land. » Read more

New Fatah charter omits language on Israel’s demise ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) January 27, 2010 - 1:00am The new Fatah charter maintains a militant tone but emphasizes democratization and omits language in earlier documents that called for Israel's destruction. The office of the U.S. Director of National Intelligence translated the document that emerged from Fatah's council in Bethlehem last summer, and Secrecy News, a project of the Federation of American Scientists watchdog group, obtained a copy and published it Wednesday. » Read more

Rattling the Cage: Segregation blues ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Larry Derfner - (Opinion) January 27, 2010 - 1:00am I spent the day in Nazareth recently, doing a story about Israeli Arabs in hi-tech, and when I got in the car with the (Jewish) photographer to leave, I said to him, "Isn't it a relief to talk to Arabs as regular people?" He smiled in agreement. » Read more

Gaza key power plant could shut over money row ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post January 27, 2010 - 1:00am A money dispute between the rival Palestinian governments is threatening to shut down Gaza's only power plant. The dispute pits the internationally backed government of the West Bank against Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers. The plant provides power to much of northern Gaza. The European Union used to pay for the plant's fuel as part of an aid package to the Palestinian Authority. However, the EU decided to start scaling back and said it wants the Palestinian Authority to find other ways to pay for the fuel. The Palestinian Authority demands that Hamas pay its share. » Read more

Renovated cinema to bring new life to Jenin ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News by Jon Donnison - January 28, 2010 - 1:00am Standing in the dusty, half-lit lobby of Cinema Jenin with paint splattered builders beavering away all around, it's hard to imagine that this venue was once the place to be on the Jenin social scene. The cinema in the centre of the West Bank city was first opened in 1957. But over the years, Jenin has seen some of the worst violence between Israelis and Palestinians, and the cinema was eventually forced to close during the first Intifada, or Palestinian uprising, in the mid 1980s. But now it is being renovated, and is due to re-open in August 2010. » Read more