February 9th

Jews, Palestinians plant trees together in West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Akiva Novick - February 8, 2012 - 1:00am School children from the Efrat settlement and residents of the neighboring Palestinian village of Jurat al-Shama planted trees together in an initiative that promoted co-existence in the West Bank, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Wednesday. The event, held on the Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shvat, aimed to block the hazardous dust that is being disseminated by a nearby tree-processing plant. » Read more

Hamas obstructs election commission from working in Gaza: chairman ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua February 9, 2012 - 1:00am RAMALLAH, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Hamas authorities obstruct the work of Central Elections Commission (CEC) in the Gaza Strip, CEC chairman Hanna Nasser said Thursday. Two weeks after Hamas allowed the CEC to operate in Gaza, the commission's staff are not yet allowed to start updating voter records, Nasser told Xinhua. Hamas' government "asked us to linger in preparing for elections," Nasser explained, adding that this delay was unjustifiable." » Read more

Racism and political tension tied to Israel's soccer league ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Batsheva Sobelman - February 8, 2012 - 1:00am REPORTING FROM JERUSALEM -- High drama exists in Israel's soccer league for reasons other than goals scored, as political tension and racism sometimes play out on and off the fields. The Beitar Jerusalem soccer club, most recently owned by Dan Adler and Adam Levine of the U.S., remains closely associated with its fans' far right-wing politics and slurs against opposing players. The club faces numerous penalties because of fan behavior, with Beitar fans often chanting personal and religious insults at other players. A group dubbed "La Familia" is viewed by many as setting the tone. » Read more

Palestinian prisoner on 55th day of hunger strike to protest detention without trial ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Mohammed Daraghmeh, Daniel Estrin - February 9, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — In a high-stakes gamble, an imprisoned member of a Palestinian militant group has waged a hunger strike for almost two months, trying to draw attention to Israel’s military justice system and its treatment of detainees who can be held without charge for lengthy periods. » Read more

Abbas says reconciliation not contradict with Mideast peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua February 9, 2012 - 1:00am RAMALLAH, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday told U.S. peace envoy David Hale that there are no contradictions between the Palestinian reconciliation and peace with Israel. The state-run Wafa news agency quoted Abbas, who held talks in Ramallah with Hale, as saying that peace for the Palestinians is strategic and the internal Palestinian reconciliation is a national Palestinian need. » Read more

Hamas split threatens Palestinian unity deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Nidal al-Mughrabi - February 8, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Hamas's Gaza-based leadership challenged on Wednesday a Palestinian reconciliation deal signed by the Islamist group's political chief in exile and President Mahmoud Abbas of the rival Fatah movement. Bringing divisions within Hamas to the surface, the group's "Change and Reform" Gaza parliamentary bloc came out against a key clause in the pact under which Abbas would serve both as president and prime minister of a future Palestinian government. » Read more

February 8th

The Goal is Democratization ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Ghassan Khatib - (Opinion) February 6, 2012 - 1:00am The relationship between the ongoing uprisings and revolutions in the Arab world and the Palestinian-Israeli peace process is a convoluted mix of cause and effect. » Read more

Abbas Juggles Initiative While Israel Takes None ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Yossi Alpher - (Opinion) February 6, 2012 - 1:00am The Israeli-Palestinian peace process was dead well before the Arab revolutionary wave began a little over a year ago. Nor does it appear likely that the Arab revolutions, in and of themselves, will catalyze its revival. Still, they have affected the peace process in a number of significant, albeit still evolving ways. » Read more

A ‘Major Triumph for Qatari Diplomacy’ ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Qatar News Agency (Editorial) February 8, 2012 - 1:00am The Doha Declaration signed between the two main Palestinian movements - Fatah and Hamas - should be considered as a “major triumph for Qatari diplomacy”, a number of Palestinian and Arab political experts said yesterday. They said that that Qatari diplomacy’s “strenuous efforts” succeeded in bringing the Palestinian people back together. They expressed their thanks to Qatar, under the leadership of HH the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, for supporting Palestinian reconciliation. » Read more

From Across the Line: Do Palestinians Have a Life? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Nida' Tuma - (Opinion) February 3, 2012 - 1:00am Accompanying an Israeli couple on a short tour of Ramallah, I opt to take them to a nice Palestinian American-style coffee shop – one of my favorite places to go. Interestingly, one of their first comments on the visit is that the coffee prices are just as high as those in Tel Aviv. NIS 15 for a cup of coffee is quite expensive considering the average Palestinian income, but still affordable to some. » Read more