May 3rd

US court case: Is Jerusalem part of Israel? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press May 2, 2011 - 12:00am The Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal over whether an American born in Jerusalem can have Israel listed as his birthplace on his passport even though US policy does not recognize the once-divided city as belonging to Israel. The court said Monday it will review an appeals court ruling against Jerusalem-born Menachem Zivotofsky and his parents. They filed a lawsuit after State Department officials refused to list Israel as his birthplace. » Read more

Dozens of Palestinians pay tribute to bin Laden in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Jack Khoury - May 3, 2011 - 12:00am Some two dozen Palestinians gathered in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday to pay tribute to slain al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. About 25 people holding pictures and posters of bin Laden rallied outside a Gaza City university. The crowd included al-Qaida sympathizers as well as students who said they opposed bin Laden's ideology, but were angry at the U.S. for killing him and consider him a martyr. Hamas police did not interfere with the demonstration. » Read more

Hamas-Fatah reconciliation: Opportunity or disaster? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) May 2, 2011 - 12:00am The Fatah-Hamas reconciliation caught everyone by surprise – even Mahmoud Abbas. Fatah, under Abbas’ leadership, had signed the proposed Egyptian document for reconciliation in October 2009. I speculated then that the only reason Abbas signed was because he was convinced Hamas would not. The new understandings contain less content and explicit reconciliation than the original document, which included a re-integration of the security forces. The current agreement is much more procedural in nature, and mainly focuses on preparing for new elections. » Read more

Hamas-Fatah: Looking for the Red Lines ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Ideas Daily by Yehudah Mirsky - (Opinion) May 2, 2011 - 12:00am Things can always get worse, and in the Middle East they usually will. That was made depressingly clear once again with the April 27 announcement in Cairo of a reconciliation agreement between the rival Palestinian organizations of Fatah and Hamas. » Read more

Palestinian factions' leaders arrive in Cairo for reconciliation deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua May 2, 2011 - 12:00am Leaders of Palestinian political factions arrived in Cairo on Monday to join a ceremony of signing a reconciliation agreement over ending around four years of internal Palestinian division. Leaders of left-wing parties, Islamic Jihad and the independent Palestinian figures from Gaza and the West Bank arrived in Cairo to join the signing ceremony. The reconciliation deal is scheduled to be signed by the leaders of Islamic Hamas movement and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party in Cairo on Wednesday under the sponsorship of Egypt. » Read more

Israeli threat to withhold taxes to damage Palestinian economy: analysts ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Adam Gonn - May 2, 2011 - 12:00am Israel's reaction to the Fatah- Hamas reconciliation continued this week as Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz threatened to withhold taxes collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) over fears that Hamas may use the money to fund its actions against Israel. Palestinian movements Fatah and Hamas announced last Wednesday an Egyptian-brokered reconciliation deal, which outlined the creation of a unity government and preparations for national and presidential elections. » Read more

Palestinian presidency calls for keeping calm with Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua May 3, 2011 - 12:00am The Palestinian presidency called on factions Fatah and Hamas movements to maintain calm with Israel, saying this is only way to face it. "Israel is trying to make excuses in order not to break the siege on the Gaza Strip or to withdraw from the Palestinian lands, " presidency spokesman Nabil Abu Rdineh said. "We do not want to give Israel pretexts by violating the state of calm." » Read more

Popular Palestinian premier could be on way out ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Mohammed Daraghmeh - May 3, 2011 - 12:00am There are growing signs that the Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, could be on his way out, as the rival Fatah and Hamas movements prepare to sign a reconciliation deal this week and form a new "unity government." An ouster of the internationally respected economist could cost the Palestinians hundreds of millions of dollars in Western aid, spell the end of critical U.S. training for Palestinian security forces and endanger an effort to win support for Palestinian statehood at the United Nations. » Read more

Palestinian Reconciliation, First Step Toward Proclamation of the State ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat by George Semaan - (Opinion) May 2, 2011 - 12:00am The signing of the Palestinian reconciliation agreement between the authority and the Hamas movement is an extremely belated step. Throughout many months, this agreement remained quasi-impossible, but the Arab action, from Tunisia to Syria going through Egypt, Yemen and Jordan, was behind the activation of reconciliation, as the Palestinians felt that their cause was no longer the first item on the agenda of the Arab capitals facing a busy domestic schedule. At this level, it would be enough to mention the major transformation witnessed in Egypt, i.e. » Read more

'Arab Spring' a boon for Israel? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News by Linda Heard - May 2, 2011 - 12:00am It is generally believed that the political shape shifting throughout swathes of the Arab world constitutes bad news for Israel. That argument does hold some water. For instance, Egypt's caretaker Cabinet has succeeded in bringing Fatah and Hamas together to form a unity government and has announced plans to reopen the Rafah crossing to Gaza. Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces Gen. Sami Anan says, "Israel has no right to intervene in the decision about the Rafah border. It is an Egyptian-Palestinian matter." » Read more