February 26th

Israel, Palestinians likely to receive more time for Gaza inquiries ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by David Harris - February 25, 2010 - 1:00am The fighting that rocked civilians in and around Gaza 14 months ago will be revisited once again on Friday when the United Nations General Assembly is slated to discuss the roles played by Israel and the Palestinian Islamic resistance movement Hamas. While UN member states are likely to agree to give the two sides more time to conduct investigation, it's doubted that the further probe could get any substantial result. » Read more

Israeli PM tries to ease 'heritage site' tensions ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Tia Goldenberg - February 26, 2010 - 1:00am Israel's prime minister tried Thursday to calm tensions over the addition of two West Bank shrines to a list of national heritage sites, a decision that has sparked clashes with the Palestinians and drawn widespread international criticism. In an interview to Israeli TV, Benjamin Netanyahu called the affair a "misunderstanding," saying there was no intention to infringe on Muslim freedom of worship. He said the intent was to protect and maintain the sites. » Read more

Israel plans more homes for East Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Allyn Fisher-Ilan - February 26, 2010 - 1:00am Israel has plans to build another 600 homes in occupied land it considers part of East Jerusalem, the Haaretz daily newspaper reported on Friday. The plan approved by a district planning commission could further stymie U.S.-brokered efforts to renew stalled peace talks as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who has insisted on a total settlement freeze including in Jerusalem. Israeli spokesmen for the Jerusalem municipality and the Interior Ministry that oversees the planning commission were not immediately available for comment. » Read more

Pressure On Israel Increases Over Death ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Wall Street Journal by Chip Cummins, Joshua Mitnick - February 26, 2010 - 1:00am International pressure on Israel mounted as the probe into the alleged murder of a top Hamas leader in Dubai reached American and Australian shores. On Thursday, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith summoned Israel's ambassador and demanded his help in investigating how three Australian passports ended up linked to the death. That followed Dubai's disclosure Wednesday that it had identified 15 more passports, including the Australian documents, carried by suspects in the case, bringing the total number to 26. » Read more

Close Gaza tunnels? Some Palestinians say yes. ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Erin Cunningham - February 25, 2010 - 1:00am When Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak confirmed in late January that his government was planning a new wall along Egypt's border with Gaza that will descend 100 feet below the surface – to shut down the Gaza tunnels that have smuggled trade goods, people, and weapons under the border for years – merchants here rushed to stock up. Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip, dubbed the structure "the wall of death." » Read more

Dubai assassination: UAE demands justice but with what leverage? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Carol Huang - February 22, 2010 - 1:00am Diplomatic tensions are heating up over the forged European passports used by a hit squad that came to Dubai to murder of Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh. But there's not a lot that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) can do beyond complaining to European ambassadors. The focus now is mostly on European countries calling in Israeli diplomats, and the European Union, which today issued a public condemnation of the use of forged passports. » Read more

More Clashes Over Israeli Claim to Shrine ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - February 25, 2010 - 1:00am Dozens of Palestinian youths clashed with Israeli forces for a fourth day on Thursday at various locations in this volatile city over the inclusion of a hotly contested religious shrine here, the Cave of the Patriarchs, in a list of places earmarked for renovation as Jewish heritage sites. » Read more

Mayor’s Housing Offer Sets Off Row in Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - February 25, 2010 - 1:00am The mayor of Jerusalem is offering 120 Palestinian families in a jumble of houses scheduled for demolition a deal he believes they can’t refuse: new apartments atop shops and restaurants, a day care center, boutique hotels and a huge park. Tourists and income will flow. It is — as the mayor likes to say — win-win. » Read more

February 25th

Are serious negotiations around the corner? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by Daoud Kuttab - (Opinion) February 25, 2010 - 1:00am Palestinians and many others around the world are trying to figure out whether the current US-backed push to restart Mideast talks will lead to serious negotiations or will it be just another act that leads nowhere. » Read more

‘Two-State Solution’ Faces a Patchwork of Challenges ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Nathan Jeffay - February 24, 2010 - 1:00am As the Obama administration struggles to restart negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, a two-state solution remains the final goal, supported by governments in Jerusalem, Ramallah, Washington and Moscow. It enjoys at least lip service from everyone from Benjamin Netanyahu on the right to Noam Chomsky on the left. It is a term that has become as much mantra as policy. » Read more