February 14th

Dialogue is the way ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Ghassan Khatib - (Opinion) February 13, 2012 - 1:00am The agreement that was announced in Doha last week between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the head of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, generated healthy debate and discussion among Palestinians, but especially within Hamas. Once again, the Palestinian argument that engaging Hamas in dialogue is always useful has been proven true. » Read more

Palestinians consider upgrading UN status as peace talks stalled: sources ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua February 13, 2012 - 1:00am RAMALLAH, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinians are considering upgrading their UN status to a non-member observer state after failing to obtain state recognition through the world body's Security Council, sources close to the leadership said on Monday. However, the Palestinians' decision will depend on Israel's response to a letter sent by President Mahmoud Abbas via some Arab leaders, the sources said. » Read more

A failure of Israeli strategic thinking ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Yossi Alpher - (Opinion) February 13, 2012 - 1:00am The Fateh-Hamas Doha declaration of February 5 is many things, some more grounded in reality than others. » Read more

Israel rejects Palestinian hunger striker's appeal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Diaa Hadid - February 13, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — An Israeli military court on Monday rejected an appeal from a Palestinian man on hunger strike for 58 days to have his jail term reduced, officials said. Lawyer Mahmoud Hassan said a military court judge refused the appeal and that his client, Khader Adnan, will be detained until May 8. A military spokeswoman confirmed the ruling and said Adnan will be expected to carry out the full four-month sentence. The spokeswoman spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations. » Read more

Egypt to monitor work of reconciliation committee ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency February 14, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- Egypt is to start monitoring the performance of the public freedoms committee, a member told Ma'an on Monday. Khalil Assaf, a committee member from the West Bank, said that a meeting was held Sunday in Cairo with Egyptian officials, who recommended that Egypt monitors the committee's work in order to overcome obstacles it has been facing in the West Bank and Gaza. Another meeting is scheduled to be held on Feb. 21 to follow up with what has been achieved on the ground. » Read more

Israeli demolition 'displaces 120' in Hebron village ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency February 13, 2012 - 1:00am HEBRON (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces demolished 22 buildings in a Palestinian village south of Hebron on Monday, displacing 120 villagers, residents told Ma'an. Twenty Israeli military vehicles accompanied bulldozers to raze the 16 domestic tents and six animal shelters in Khirbet al-Rahwa, they said. Villager Salim Salem al-Tal told Ma'an forces also demolished a well that was the village's only water source. Soldiers did not give the villagers any time to remove their possessions from their homes, he said. » Read more

Reconciliation deal can succeed ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by Osama Al-Sharif - (Opinion) February 14, 2012 - 1:00am Good news associated with the Palestinians is very hard to come by these days, but February 6 was an exception. A Qatari initiative succeeded in bringing together two bitter rivals in Doha; Palestinian President and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas and head of Hamas' political bureau Khalid Mesha'al. The Doha Declaration represented the biggest leap forward on the road to securing Palestinian reconciliation. » Read more

Iran, Israel trade blame over embassy attacks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Los Angeles Times by Mark Magnier, Edmund Sanders - February 13, 2012 - 1:00am Reporting from Jerusalem and New Delhi—The technique had a familiar ring. A motorcyclist speeds toward a government vehicle, attaches a magnetic bomb and buzzes away moments before a fiery explosion. Last month, that's how an Iranian nuclear scientist was killed in Tehran. And on Monday, Indian officials said such an attack injured an Israeli diplomat's wife and three others in a well-guarded neighborhood of New Delhi near the Israeli Embassy. » Read more

Egyptians renegotiate - with the US, Israel and themselves ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Faisal Al Yafai - (Opinion) February 14, 2012 - 1:00am How much can a country change in a single year? On the anniversary of Hosni Mubarak's fall from power, Egypt is still convulsed daily by protests. Sit-ins in Tahrir Square continue. Relations between "the Square", which is shorthand for the Egyptian public that supports the protests, and the generals of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) are tense and characterised by mutual mistrust. The stability and calm sought by the outside world is a work in progress. » Read more

Overstating Israel’s ‘internal Arab problem’ ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Oded Haklai - (Opinion) February 14, 2012 - 1:00am In recent months, analysts from diverse ideological persuasions and political stripes have been sounding the alarm bells about Israel’s “internal Palestinian problem.” On the one hand, it is claimed that if Israel does not accede to the political demands of the Arab minority and does not recognize it as a national and indigenous minority with extensive collective rights, Israel’s domestic stability and very democratic character will be undermined. » Read more