February 17th

Palestinians Stay Quiet as Storms Rage Across the Middle East ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by David Miller - February 16, 2011 - 1:00am As turmoil spread to previously quiet areas of the Middle East like Bahrain and Libya this week, the West Bank and Gaza Strip remained placid. Palestinians say they are as firmly opposed to Israel’s occupation as ever, but they don’t face the same restrictions on freedom of expression that their brothers and sisters elsewhere in the region and so they have no reason to explode in rebellion now. Most are satisfied with the rule of the Palestinian Authority (PA). » Read more

Palestinians seek global recognition through South America ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Juan Forero, Janine Zacharia - February 16, 2011 - 1:00am Before a slew of South American countries recently recognized an independent Palestinian state in quick succession, a seasoned Palestinian diplomat had quietly begun lobbying the government of one critical country on the continent: Argentina. Home to the region's largest Jewish community, Argentina posed a special challenge. But Walid Muaqqat, who has the status of Palestinian ambassador here, made sure things ran smoothly when Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived for a 2009 tour. » Read more

U.S. reportedly proposing U.N. ‘statement’ on settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) February 16, 2011 - 1:00am The United States reportedly is backing a United Nations Security Council statement that would slam Israel on settlements but would stop short of a resolution. » Read more

Editorial: Israel fears change in Middle East ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News (Editorial) February 17, 2011 - 1:00am Indeed, everything about winds of change sweeping through the Arab world is seen by the Israelis in terms of what will the consequences be for Israel. » Read more

Israeli troops kill 3 Palestinians on Gaza border ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Ibrahim Barzak - February 17, 2011 - 1:00am Israeli forces shot dead three Palestinians along the tense border with the Gaza Strip before dawn Thursday. The Israeli military released a statement saying soldiers fired on the men after they were spotted planting an explosive device in a no-go zone along the border between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. » Read more

February 16th

Palestinian Authority to Wean Itself Off Foreign Aid by 2013 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by Felice Friedson - February 16, 2011 - 1:00am The Palestinian Authority (PA) is undertaking a major effort to wean itself from foreign assistance, a move that will strengthen plans to declare statehood by this summer, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad told The Media Line. “The current expenditure has been reduced from $1.8 billion in 2008 to $1.1 billion in 2010 and we will gradually wean ourselves from [foreign] aid by 2013,” Fayyad said. “It is an important benchmark for reducing reliance on the need for external assistance,” he added. » Read more

Sderot conference hosts Gaza residents ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Hanan Greenberg - February 16, 2011 - 1:00am A conference that opened in Sderot Monday, called 'Gaza-Sderot', brought a number of Palestinian residents of the Strip to the nearby southern town, where they stayed the night. The delegation was meant to include 30 people, but only 15 succeeded in gaining entry into Israel after fervent security measures. Many of the Palestinians who attended the conference asked to remain anonymous, for fear they would be attacked upon returning home. » Read more

Army razes illegal settler outpost ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Yair Altman - February 15, 2011 - 1:00am Six Jewish settlers were arrested on Tuesday during the razing of the illegal West Bank outpost Ramat Migron. The settlers hurled stones at security forces and tried to block their path. Soldiers arrived at the outpost in the morning and quickly took it over while additional forces blocked roads and trails leading to it to prevent rightists from disrupting the demolition works. The soldiers left after they razed five makeshift structures in two hours. » Read more

The 10 plagues of east Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Meir Margalit - February 15, 2011 - 1:00am The revolution in Cairo’s streets should raise the alarm in Jerusalem too. Like many Egyptians and Tunisians, the Arabs of east Jerusalem have been humiliated and trampled upon for years. Here too, patience is running out. The winds in east Jerusalem are the same ones blowing through Egyptian streets, and may ultimately bring down a regime that anticipated never-ending rule. » Read more

Israel should join the new reality of world diplomacy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) February 16, 2011 - 1:00am The revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, the demonstrations in Iran and Bahrain and the general feeling of an earthquake rumbling across the Middle East have thus far conferred a sense of deliverance on Israel, as it has managed to escape the spotlight. After all, who wants to deal with the peace process, dismantling settlements, marking the border between Israel and Palestine or defining security arrangements when the entire world is holding its head, uncertain how to act in the face of these budding democracies? » Read more