April 12th

High Court rejects Palestinian village's petition against security fence ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Aviad Glickman - April 12, 2010 - 12:00am The High Court of Justice rejected on Sunday a petition filed by the Palestinian village of Masha and The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) against the construction of a segment of the West Bank security barrier near the village. According to the ruling, the construction of the segment in question was completed seven years ago. The segment separates Masha, which is home to some 2,000 Palestinians, from the Jewish communities Elkana, Etz Efraim and Sha'arei Tikva. » Read more

Hamas arrests cell about to open fire on IDF ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ali Waked - April 12, 2010 - 12:00am The Hamas government's internal security force in the Gaza Strip released a cell of gunmen Monday who had planned to open fire on an IDF force operating near the border fence. Sources from the Islamic Jihad reported to Ynet that members of the cell – made up of members of Islamic Jihad's military wing, the al-Quds Brigades, and the Nabil Massoud cell, which is one of the armed groups of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades – were released after they committed in writing not to continue these types of activities. » Read more

IDF bid to expel West Bank Palestinians is a step too far ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) April 12, 2010 - 12:00am A new military order will take effect this week, enabling the army to deport tens of thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank and prosecute them on infiltration charges, which carry long prison terms. The order, uncovered by Amira Hass in Haaretz yesterday, bears the signature of Maj. Gen. Gadi Shamni in his previous capacity as commander of the Israel Defense Forces in Judea and Samaria. » Read more

IDF order will enable mass deportation from West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - April 11, 2010 - 12:00am A new military order aimed at preventing infiltration will come into force this week, enabling the deportation of tens of thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank, or their indictment on charges carrying prison terms of up to seven years. When the order comes into effect, tens of thousands of Palestinians will automatically become criminal offenders liable to be severely punished. » Read more

U.S tensions put Jerusalem construction on hold ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Nir Hasson - April 12, 2010 - 12:00am Construction requiring the approval of Jerusalem's district planning committee has been on hold for more than a month in all parts of the city due to concerns about a new crisis in ties with the United States. Staff members of the Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee have been instructed to halt their work in an effort to spare Israel further embarrassing incidents like the March announcement, during U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Israel, of plans to expand the Jewish neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo in East Jerusalem. » Read more

Fatah to move unilaterally to end rift with Hamas: official ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua April 12, 2010 - 12:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party will try unilaterally to end political split between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, a member of Fatah central committee said Monday. Abbas headed a meeting of the central committee in Ramallah Sunday, during which the members "agreed to exert more efforts in the Fatah side to speed up the Palestinian internal reconciliation, " Fatah official Mahmoud al-Aloul told Xinhua. » Read more

Palestinians in Gaza face new challenge -- taxes ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Nidal Al-Mughrabi - April 12, 2010 - 12:00am Hamas has begun taxing Gaza street vendors and shopkeepers, raising speculation the ruling Islamist group is in a financial crisis fuelled partly by Egypt's building of a border wall to stop smuggling tunnels. Experts said on Monday that perhaps only a few dozen of the hundreds of tunnels are still functional as a result of the steel wall being pounded deep into the ground along the 14-km (8-mile)-long frontier. » Read more

Israel threatens to shut off taps for West Bank water ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency April 8, 2010 - 12:00am Israeli Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau threatened to restrict the West Bank water supply if no sewage treatment plants were installed in the area, a UN alert warned on Wednesday. The official reportedly told Israel's Army Radio that "They get clean water from us, and in return they give us sewage. This destroys nature, and I would also say that this is the way that wicked people behave." » Read more

Islamic Jihad: Hamas has secret ceasefire deal with Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency April 12, 2010 - 12:00am De facto government police in Gaza released on Sunday a group of resistance fighters affiliated with the militant wings of Islamic Jihad and Fatah following a four-hour detention, sources within the movements said. The release was conditional, sources said, and the men were asked to promise to abstain from any resistance activity in the near future. According to a second source, the group was planning a "qualitative operation" against Israeli forces somewhere in Gaza. » Read more

U.S. acts as though it seeks regime change in Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Aaron David Miller - (Opinion) April 12, 2010 - 12:00am Regime change. Generally it's a term and tactic reserved for America's enemies. But what if the Obama administration is developing a more nuanced version for one of the United States' closest allies -- Israel? » Read more