May 16th

Thank you, Russian immigrant to Israel, for Nakba Day ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Bradley Burston - (Opinion) May 15, 2012 - 12:00am It is customary for our people to honor fast days, memorial days and festivals by studying commentaries on their origins, the symbols and rituals of their observance, and the ways in which they connect to our own lives. » Read more

'The Palestinians Can Wait' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor by Alex Fishman - (Opinion) May 7, 2012 - 12:00am The coordinator of government activities in the Palestinian territories, Brigadier-General Eitan Dangot, has asked that the government approve an additional 5,000 permits for Palestinian laborers to enter Israel. That’s good for everyone. Politically, it’s good for Israel. Economically, it’s good for the Palestinian Authority. From a security perspective, it’s not a problem. » Read more

UCLA’s “one state or two” debate ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Journal by Jonah Lowenfeld - May 15, 2012 - 12:00am For anyone who missed the debate on May 15 at UCLA between Reza Aslan and Hussein Ibish over whether the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should be resolved by creating a Palestinian state alongside the Jewish one or by creating a single bi-national state, here’s the basic report of what went down. » Read more

Ailing Palestinian Hospital Awaits Cash Infusion ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by Arieh O'Sullivan - May 16, 2012 - 12:00am Husni Samara is a gynecologist and endoscopic surgeon at Al-Makassed hospital on Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives. Even though he has a family to support and hasn’t been paid in months, he won’t consider lucrative offers from abroad. » Read more

Time to Abandon Stalled Peace Process? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Nathan Guttman - May 16, 2012 - 12:00am Washington — Once seen as heresy, proposals for bypassing the Middle East peace process — or even jettisoning a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — are increasingly making their way into mainstream discourse while the peace process itself remains mired in a deep freeze. The spectrum of ideas now being voiced in prominent and respected political quarters range from unilateral steps to be taken by either side, to abandoning the two-decades-old peace process altogether. » Read more

Settlements to get NIS 44M ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Zvi Lavi - May 16, 2012 - 12:00am The Knesset's Finance Committee on Tuesday approved the allocation of NIS 44 million (roughly $12 million) in favor of West Bank settlements. Some NIS 17 million of the NIS 44 million will serve as compensation for the Migron evacuees. » Read more

Israel's Interior Minister: All African migrants should be jailed ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz May 16, 2012 - 12:00am Israel's Interior Minister Eli Yishai said on Wednesday that most of the migrants from Africa are engaged in criminal actions and should be placed in detention facilities. Yishai said that Israel is willing to provide financial assistance for migrants to leave. In an interview with Army Radio, Yishai differentiated between refugees and asylum seekers, saying that "whoever is considered a refugee, and there are few, can stay. One cannot forsake the security of Israelis." » Read more

Israel plans for quake aid to Palestinians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Dan Williams - May 15, 2012 - 12:00am TEL AVIV, May 15 (Reuters) - Israel said on Tuesday it had set up a mechanism to get aid to the Palestinians in the event of a major earthquake. A 5.5-magnitude quake rattled Israel and the occupied West Bank on Friday, reminding residents of their vulnerability to the Syria-African Rift, a northern extension of Africa's Rift Valley. "The working assumption is that they (Palestinians) do not have the means to deal with such a disaster on their own," said Alon Rozen, director-general of Israel's Civil Defence Ministry. » Read more

Palestinian prisoner deal shows non-violence works ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Ali Sawafta - May 16, 2012 - 12:00am RAMALLAH, West Bank, May 15 (Reuters) - Standing up to Israel through non-violent resistance can produce encouraging results, Palestinians said on Tuesday, after a prisoner hunger strike produced some Israeli concessions. The deal under which some 1,600 Palestinian prisoners agreed on Monday to end a month-long fast against Israel's prison policy was struck on the eve of Nakba (catastrophe) Day that marks Israel's founding in a 1948 war when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were driven out of their homes. » Read more

Palestinian anti-corruption chief: Aide of late leader Arafat suspected of stealing millions ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press May 16, 2012 - 12:00am RAMALLAH, West Bank — The shadowy financial adviser of the late Yasser Arafat is being sought on suspicion he stole millions of dollars in public funds, the top Palestinian anti-corruption campaigner said Wednesday. It is the highest profile investigation since President Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority established an Anti-Corruption Commission and a special court two years ago to deal with such cases, the panel’s chief, Rafik Natche, told The Associated Press. » Read more