January 13th

Clinton: Israel makes its own decisions ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Matthew Lee - January 13, 2011 - 1:00am Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton acknowledged the limits of U.S. power Thursday in a combative exchange with an Al-Jazeera reporter, saying, "We can't stop a lot of countries from doing things that we disagree with and we speak out against." In the Qatari capital of Doha for a regional development conference, Clinton was asked why Arab countries should listen to her criticism when the U.S. can't even get its longtime ally, Israel, to make peace with the Palestinians. "Israel is a sovereign country and it makes its own decisions," Clinton responded. » Read more

Fatah investigation into Dahlan expanded ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency January 13, 2011 - 1:00am Fatah leaders heard the preliminary findings of a committee investigating what the Israeli media said were attempts by Mohammed Dahlan to engage a private militia in the West Bank. The two-day meeting, which ended Wednesday in Ramallah, saw Fatah leader and President Mahmoud Abbas and his top Fatah officials decide to appoint an expanded committee to open a deeper investigation. » Read more

PA security: Two-faced Hamas calling for Gaza calm ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency January 13, 2011 - 1:00am Spokesperson for the Palestinian security services in the Major General Adnan Dmeiri criticized Hamas on Wednesday, saying its leaders were adopting a two-faced and inconsistent policy, by calling for calm in Gaza and "escalating conditions" in the West Bank. "Israel gets a free-of-charge calm," Dmeiri said, referring to a series of urgent talks the party held with militant groups on Wednesday to pass on a warning from Arab leaders about firing rockets at Israel. » Read more

Settlers from evacuated outpost enter village ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency January 13, 2011 - 1:00am Fierce clashes erupted between villagers from Qusra, located south Nablus, and armed settlers entering the residential area of the village. Witnesses said tens of settlers entered the area, setting fire to civilian cars, throwing stones and opening fire on homes. Three were injured by the settlers, locals said, while Israeli news site Ynet said two 14-year-old children of settlers and a Palestinian were lightly hurt during the clashes. Qusra is located near an illegal settlement outpost that was evacuated by the Israeli military the day before. » Read more

The Future of Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Atlantic by Jeffrey Goldberg - (Opinion) January 11, 2011 - 1:00am My in-box is filled with e-mails and press releases asserting that East Jerusalem, including and especially the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem, and including and especially the site on which the Shepherd Hotel stood until this past weekend, when it was bulldozed to make way for apartments for Jewish Israelis, is holy Jewish territory, part of the holiest city in Judaism, and therefore a place where Jews have a perfect right to build and live. » Read more

US must rejoin international community by recognizing the state of Palestine ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by John V. Whitbeck - (Opinion) January 12, 2011 - 1:00am On Jan. 7, Chile extended diplomatic recognition to the state of Palestine as a free, independent, and sovereign state. This comes soon after the recent recognitions by Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, and Ecuador. (In each of those cases, the state of Palestine was recognized explicitly within the full pre-1967 borders, encompassing all of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.) Chile’s recognition brought to 109 the number of UN member states recognizing the state of Palestine, whose independence was proclaimed on Nov. 15, 1988. » Read more

East Jerusalem housing project will stay Jewish-only ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Maher Abukhater - January 12, 2011 - 1:00am Bondholders of a troubled Israeli real estate company that is building Jewish housing in Arab-dominated East Jerusalem have rejected an offer from a Palestinian American entrepreneur to buy the firm, officials said Wednesday. Bashar Masri, a wealthy West Bank-born businessman, said in a telephone interview that he was disappointed at the decision of bondholders to instead accept a last-minute bid from an Israeli tycoon. » Read more

January 12th

Colony freeze a must for peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by George S. Hishmeh - January 12, 2011 - 1:00am Hillary Rodham Clinton was quick to rebuke Israel for its demolition of part of the historic Shepherd Hotel in occupied Arab East Jerusalem where Jewish colonists are hoping to build 20 housing units. » Read more

Exiting the Mideast labyrinth ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by Joschka Fischer - January 12, 2011 - 1:00am Two years have passed since Barack Obama was elected president of the United States. Much to his credit - and in contrast to his immediate predecessor - Obama tried, from his first day in office, to work towards a resolution of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. » Read more

Israel's public relations policy: never apologise, always confuse ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Jesse Rosenfeld - (Opinion) January 12, 2011 - 1:00am Never believe the Israeli army killed an unarmed civilian until it's officially denied. This paraphrasing of Mark Twain's "never believe anything until it has officially been denied," should become a mantra for journalists operating in the Middle East. It is a point reinforced recently by the death of a West Bank Palestinian resident, Jawaher abu Rahmah, who died from tear gas exposure during the recent demonstration against Israel's separation wall and land annexation in the village of Bil'in. » Read more