January 20th

Israel needs a coherent opposition ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Naomi Shepherd - (Opinion) January 19, 2011 - 1:00am This week Ehud Barak, defence minister of the most rightwing government in Israel's history, abandoned the Labour party to form a new centrist faction, which remains in the coalition with four ministerial portfolios. In the immediate future, this could strengthen Binyamin Netanyahu's government. But with Labour out of the government, there is now a clear alignment of left and centre parties: a much-needed opposition. The coalition may look more uniform without Labour, but it barely holds together: » Read more

Israeli tanks take part in deadly Gaza Strip raid ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News January 18, 2011 - 1:00am Israeli tanks have entered the northern Gaza Strip, sparking fighting that killed one Palestinian and injured two. AFP news agency reported that seven tanks had made a limited incursion 200m into Palestinian territory on Tuesday, sparking a shootout with militants. Other reports suggested armoured vehicles and bulldozers were involved. Hamas emergency services spokesman Adham Abu Salmiya said Amjad al-Zaanein, 23, had been killed by Israeli tank fire east of Beit Hanoun. » Read more

PA to Stop Court-Martialing Civilians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by David Miller - January 19, 2011 - 1:00am Palestinian human rights organization have saluted a decision by the Palestinian Authority to halt political arrests in the West Bank, but expressed concern security forces would continue their crackdown on opponents on criminal grounds. » Read more

UN met only 52% of target for Palestinian aid in 2010 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Tovah Lazaroff - January 20, 2011 - 1:00am First time such large gap exists between initial aid request, amount of money donated since UN began humanitarian appeal to member states, international organizations in 2003. The UN was only able to fund 52 percent of the humanitarian aid it wanted to provide to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza in 2010, according to statistics it released on Wednesday at a press conference in Jerusalem. » Read more

Teens protest against racism in Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Yair Altman - January 19, 2011 - 1:00am Hundreds of members of the left-wing HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed (Working and Studying Youth) movement protested in downtown Jerusalem Wednesday evening against the growing racism in Israel. The rally was organized by 11th and 12th graders who recently returned from a trip to Poland. "As teenagers who love this country we fear the racism that is seeping into people's hearts and the indifference displayed by the public and its leaders," youth movement member Tal Kedmi said. "We've decided not to stand by and watch as darkness threatens to take over," she said. » Read more

IDF discharges soldier involved in Hamas raid which left Palestinian civilian dead ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz January 20, 2011 - 1:00am The Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday that they have discharged a soldier who was involved in a raid on a West Bank Hamas cell, during which an elderly Palestinian civilian was killed. The IDF raided Hebron earlier this month in order to re-arrest five Hamas members that the Palestinian Authority had released only the day before. » Read more

Israel establishes homeland security ministry ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua January 19, 2011 - 1:00am Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday that the newly-formed Knesset Independence faction member Matan Vilna'i will head a newly- established homeland security ministry. Vilna'i will also continue in his current role as deputy defense minister. "No one is more fit than Vilna'i for this post because he has so much experience dealing with this subject," Netanyahu told the assembled ministers and reporters. "The idea is to upgrade protection of the Home Front" in case of attack, Prime Minister Office Spokesman Mark Regev told Xinhua of the step. » Read more

Media: Palestinian died from medicine, not gas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Mark Lavie - January 19, 2011 - 1:00am Israel's military contends that a woman who died after a Palestinian protest was the victim of a medical error and was not killed by tear gas, Israeli media reported late Thursday. A Palestinian group disagreed. The Israeli reports said that according to Palestinian medical records, the woman was mistakenly given a dose of medicine 10 times the accepted amount, causing her death. The woman, Jawaher Abu Rahmeh, 36, took part in a weekly demonstration against Israel's West Bank separation barrier on Dec. 31, when soldiers fired tear gas to control the crowd. She died the next day. » Read more

US push for Israeli,Palestinian intelligence-Leaks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Dan Williams - January 19, 2011 - 1:00am The United States instructed its Middle East diplomats in 2008 to gather data on encrypted Israeli communications and build financial and "biometric" profiles of Palestinian leaders, a leaked embassy cable shows. The secret memorandum, signed by then Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and published by Wikileaks, suggests the Bush administration fretted about lacking intelligence despite warm ties to Israel and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA). » Read more

Palestinian faults Arabs over Jerusalem support ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters January 19, 2011 - 1:00am Arab states are failing to help the Palestinians in Jerusalem, a Palestinian official said on Wednesday, criticising them for paying only a fraction of funds pledged to sustain Palestinian life there. Foreign Minister Riad Malki's comments reflected the Palestinians' frustration over the Arab failure to support them in the face of what they see as an Israeli campaign to "Judaize" Jerusalem, the city at the heart of the Middle East conflict. » Read more