March 7th

Time for uprising number three? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Saleh Abdel Jawad - (Opinion) March 5, 2012 - 1:00am The question of whether we are on the verge of another uprising is a difficult one that nobody can really answer--not political analysts, not Israel's security services nor the decision makers of the Palestinian factions Fateh and Hamas that appear to have the button at their fingertips. The query raises more questions than answers, in fact. » Read more

On Iran, Questions of Detection and Response Divide U.S. and Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by David E. Sanger - (Analysis) March 6, 2012 - 1:00am WASHINGTON — When President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel met in the White House on Monday, the main subject was how to calibrate the resumption of negotiations with Iran while continuing to accelerate sanctions and sabotage against its nuclear program. But they remained divided on two central questions: If Iran decided to race for a nuclear weapon, would the West detect that in time to stop it? And even if it were detected, would an airstrike be the best option? » Read more

March 6th

Obama assures Netanyahu on efforts to stop Iran’s nuclear program ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Joby Warrick, Scott Wilson - March 5, 2012 - 1:00am President Obama sought to convince Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday that he would not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon, but their meeting concluded with U.S. officials unsure whether the president had succeeded in persuading the Israelis to hold off on unilateral military action. » Read more

Arab women in Israel face double discrimination ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Merav Michaeli - (Opinion) March 6, 2012 - 1:00am In Israel, 17-year-olds are minors for all intents and purposes - except when it comes to marriage. This is not merely theoretical: Every year more than 4,500 Israelis aged 17 or younger marry. The vast majority - around 4,000 - are female. For this purpose, they are not minors. After all, they can already cook and clean; more important, their wombs and all the organs leading to them are ready. The Knesset plenum is to vote today on a bill to raise the minimum marriage age from 17 to 18; there is still a danger that the ultra-Orthodox parties will scuttle it. » Read more

War talk on Iran forces the issue: Is Israel a formal US ally? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor (Editorial) March 2, 2012 - 1:00am According to polls, Americans remain wary of supporting the idea of either Israel or the United States – or both together – attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities. Perhaps one reason for this hesitancy is the fact that Israel, in a historic choice to rely on itself for defense, has never become an official US ally. America has no treaty obligation to come to Israel’s defense as it does with many countries in Europe and Asia. This little-known fact may loom large in a meeting Monday between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. » Read more

Mideast peace, with something short of a deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Robert Malley, Aaron David Miller - (Opinion) March 3, 2012 - 1:00am President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will devote little time Monday to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in part because of Iran and election-year politics. But the principal cause is this: A negotiated, two-state solution is running harder than ever against intractable political and psychological realities in Israel, Palestine and the Arab world. These are pushing toward a de facto outcome that will not be negotiated, comprehensive or conflict-ending. » Read more

The legal case against attacking Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Bruce Ackerman - (Opinion) March 5, 2012 - 1:00am Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington has provoked a broad debate over the military and political wisdom of an attack on Iran. But so far, there has been little attention to the legal issues involved, which are crucial. American support for a preemptive strike would be a violation of both international law and the U.S. Constitution. » Read more

Iran, Israel and the United States ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times (Editorial) March 5, 2012 - 1:00am President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel share responsibility for the strains in their relationship. But there should be no doubt about Mr. Obama’s commitment to Israel’s security. When he warns that an Israeli attack on Iran could backfire, and that “there is still a window” for diplomacy, he is speaking for American and Israeli interests. » Read more

Hamas rules out military support for Iran in any war with Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Harriet Sherwood - March 6, 2012 - 1:00am Hamas will not do Iran's bidding in any war with Israel, according to senior figures within the militant Islamic group. "If there is a war between two powers, Hamas will not be part of such a war," Salah Bardawil, a member of the organisation's political bureau in Gaza City, told the Guardian. He denied the group would launch rockets into Israel at Tehran's request in response to a strike on its nuclear sites. "Hamas is not part of military alliances in the region," said Bardawil. "Our strategy is to defend our rights" » Read more

Power to the People: Gaza and Its Generators ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by Omar Ghraieb - March 6, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA CITY, Gaza – When Ahmed Ashour finished high school two years ago he knew where his future lay. He decided to not apply to any university, even though his family could easily afford it, and instead went in to the business of selling and servicing small electric generators. » Read more