April 15th

Israeli settlers wound one Palestinian in West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua April 14, 2011 - 12:00am A Palestinian was wounded Thursday after Israeli settlers hit him on the head with an ax near Ramallah city in the West Bank, a Palestinian official said. Mohammed Ibrahim, head of Turmoseya's council, where the incident happened, said settlers attacked a number of people working on their lands and beat a youth with an ax, causing head injury to him. The injured was taken to hospital and in stable condition, he added. There has been no comment from Israel on the incident. » Read more

Israeli chief negotiator for releasing of Shalit to step down ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua April 14, 2011 - 12:00am Haggai Hadas, the Israeli negotiator heading talks with the Palestinian Hamas movement over the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, announced Wednesday to leave his post. Hadas dismissed an earlier report by Channel 2 television that he was resigning out of frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the affair, believing that not all means have been exhausted in a national endeavor to bring Shalit home. » Read more

Israeli PM to address U.S. congress next month ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua April 15, 2011 - 12:00am Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Thursday that he has been invited to speak before U.S. congress next month, a speech widely expected to reveal Israel's new initiative for the peace process with the Palestinians. Netanyahu said at a Likud Party Passover holiday toast that he sees the invitation as "a great opportunity." Earlier in the day, U.S. House Speaker John Boehner announced his intention to invite the Israeli prime minister to address a joint meeting of U.S. congress when the latter visits Washington next month. » Read more

Turkey tells Israel: Gaza flotilla not up to us ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters April 14, 2011 - 12:00am Turkey said on Thursday it had received a request from Israel to help stop activists sailing to Gaza on the first anniversary of an Israeli raid on a Turkish ship, but it said the flotilla plan was not Ankara's concern. Turkey, a Muslim former ally of the Jewish state, has scaled back ties, demanding Israel apologise and pay damages for last year's raid, which caused an international outcry. » Read more

Turkey tells Israel: Gaza flotilla not up to us ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters April 14, 2011 - 12:00am Turkey said on Thursday it had received a request from Israel to help stop activists sailing to Gaza on the first anniversary of an Israeli raid on a Turkish ship, but it said the flotilla plan was not Ankara's concern. Turkey, a Muslim former ally of the Jewish state, has scaled back ties, demanding Israel apologise and pay damages for last year's raid, which caused an international outcry. » Read more

EU opens market to Palestinian exports ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency April 14, 2011 - 12:00am On the sidelines of this week's Ad Hoc Liaison Committee meeting in Belgium , EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton announced the signing of a deal that would open West Bank and Gaza markets to Europe. The agreement gives - effective immediately - all agricultural products, processed agricultural products and fish and fishery products originating in the West Bank and Gaza Strip duty free access to the EU market. » Read more

US Senate asks UN to rescind Gaza War report ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) April 15, 2011 - 12:00am The US Senate asked the United Nations to rescind a report on the Gaza War after its lead author expressed doubt over his conclusion that Israel targeted civilians during the 2008-2009 offensive. The Senate resolution calls on UN Human Rights Council members "to reflect the author's repudiation of the Goldstone report's central findings, rescind the report and reconsider further Council actions with respect to the report's findings." The text was adopted by unanimous consent. » Read more

Palestinian factions denounce murder of Italian activist ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency April 15, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian factions have condemned the murder of Italian peace activist Vittorio Arrigoni found dead in Gaza early Friday morning. Salafist extremists in Gaza were suspected of kidnapping Arrigoni, an activist for the International Solidarity Movement, last seen alive in a video posted online Thursday. In the video, the kidnappers threatened to kill Arrigoni unless Hamas released Salafist prisoners by Friday evening. Before the deadline passed, however, Hamas said his body was found hanged in a home northwest of Gaza City. » Read more

Will the Arab Spring bring a peace agreement with Israel? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post (Editorial) April 14, 2011 - 12:00am ONE OF THE MOST remarkable aspects of this year’s Arab uprising has been the absence of the Israeli-Palestinian issue from the agenda of protesters. It turns out that the rising generation of Arabs is preoccupied not with Palestinian statehood but with political freedom and economic opportunity in their own countries. It follows that for the United States and other Western democracies, the most critical challenge in the region in the coming years will be guiding Arab states toward liberal democracy and preventing the rise of new authoritarian or extremist Islamic regimes. » Read more

GAZA STRIP: Kidnapped Italian activist found dead; Hamas condemns rival radical group ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Ahmed al-Dabba - (Blog) April 14, 2011 - 12:00am Hours after an Islamist extremist group announced it had kidnapped an Italian peace activist in the Gaza Strip, the man's body was discovered in the restive seaside territory. It was the first kidnapping of a Westerner in four years and one of the few times such an abduction has ended fatally. » Read more