February 8th

Israeli Court Grants Reprieve to Abandoned Palestinian Village ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Joel Greenberg - February 8, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — A Jerusalem court has ruled against plans to build a luxury housing development on the remains of a Palestinian village abandoned in the 1948 war that followed the establishment of Israel. The court battle was seen as a test case for preservation of Palestinian heritage in Israel, where remains of Arab villages whose residents either fled or were expelled in the fighting have largely vanished under modern buildings, parks and planted forests. » Read more

EU: No Change in Palestinian Aid ATFP World Press Roundup Article from United Press International (UPI) February 8, 2012 - 1:00am BRUSSELS, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- The European Union says the Palestinian Authority's new Fatah-Hamas unity government will not change the EU's ongoing financial assistance to Palestinians. Hamas is officially considered a terrorist group by the European Union but it gained some recognition for freeing Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in a recent prisoner swap with Israel, the EUobserver reported. » Read more

State Department Plays Down Warnings about Hamas-Fatah Announcement ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Fox News February 7, 2012 - 1:00am The State Department played down warnings Tuesday over the latest step toward a unity government between Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah, saying "the fundamentals have not changed" despite claims that the deal imperils the already anemic peace process. Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met Tuesday with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, and they discussed how "it's not particularly clear what this agreement will change." » Read more

Is Palestinian Handshake Much Ado About Nothing? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Hugh Naylor - February 8, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM // After Hamas and Fatah agreed to form a unity government and hold elections, you would think their rapprochement would be cause for optimism among Palestinians. But just ask Mohammed Youssef. He flatly dismissed Monday's accord as nothing more than a ruse between Fatah's chairman and the Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas and outgoing Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal to quell public anger over the slow pace of their reconciliation. » Read more

Legal Controversy on Abbas’ Posts Grows After Doha Delaration ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Saud Abu Ramadan, Emad Drimly - February 8, 2012 - 1:00am RAMALLAH, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- A legal controversy over the posts of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas rose on Tuesday, one day after he agreed in Qatar with Islamic Hamas movement's chief Khaled Meshaal that Abbas will form and lead a unified transitional government. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that if Abbas as president of the Palestinian National Authority ( PNA) also becomes the prime minister of the Palestinian government, "there would be doubts on whether he will be able to run in the upcoming presidential elections or not." » Read more

Fatah Official: Abbas Can Head Government ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency February 8, 2012 - 1:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas can appoint himself as head of the next government, a Fatah official said Wednesday, dismissing criticism that the move to bolster unity had no standing in Palestinian law. Azzam Ahmad said no law prevented Abbas from heading the government. "I advise those who reject this to read the laws again; we are a presidential system, not parliamentary." The Doha agreement signed Monday by Abbas and Hamas chief Khalid Mashaal has been welcomed and criticized, with some saying the president had overstepped the parliament's authority. » Read more

February 7th

Israel’s Silent March to War With Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Larry Derfner - (Opinion) February 7, 2012 - 1:00am The atmosphere in Israel is pretty surreal these days. The whole world seems to be asking whether we’re going to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities this year — the whole world except this Israeli part of it. » Read more

World democracies are warming up to Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Moshe Arens - (Opinion) February 7, 2012 - 1:00am No Israeli could have failed to notice the radical change in weather over the past two months. Forecasters predicted another dry winter, and fortunately they turned out to be wrong. And while Israel is still suffering from a water shortage, for the moment the situation is not as dire as we had thought. » Read more

Why Israel is faced with 200,000 rockets ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Sefi Rachlevsky - (Opinion) February 7, 2012 - 1:00am There are currently 200,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel, according to Military Intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi. Thousands carrying heavy explosive warheads, and some chemical and biological ones, are aimed at Tel Aviv. And they are in the possession of people who are not exactly Israel's friends. In fact, most are religious extremists bordering on messianic. So why aren't these missiles falling on our heads? » Read more

Haunted by “Jenin, Jenin” ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Merav Michaeli - (Interview) February 7, 2012 - 1:00am Israeli actor Mohammed Bakri, whose film "Jenin, Jenin" caused a furor about a decade ago, performed at Tel Aviv's Tzavta Theater this week in "The House of Bernarda Alba." The right-wing Im Tirtzu movement demonstrated against the show, and Culture Minister Limor Livnat criticized Tzavta's "judgment" in allowing Bakri to take the stage. It's been a long time since you've been onstage. You haven't been on an Israeli stage since 2003. Did you miss it? Yes. How was it to return to an Israeli audience? » Read more