March 7th

Hamas's ban on women running Gaza marathon is a missed opportunity ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Nabila Ramdani - March 6, 2013 - 1:00am Anyone who takes part in a long-distance run knows there will be plenty of problems to overcome, but the Gaza marathon was always going to be in an endurance class of its own. When I registered for this year's race, my concerns were certainly less about my personal training schedule than about global conflict. The length of the blighted Palestinian territory is slightly shorter than the 26 miles and 385 yards required for an official marathon course, making its densely packed population particularly vulnerable to military action by its neighbour Israel. » Read more

East Jerusalem woman wounded by Israeli Border Police fire ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - March 6, 2013 - 1:00am An East Jerusalem woman sustained a serious injury to her jaw last week from a foam-tipped plastic bullet fired by a Border Police officer in an incident whose particulars are in dispute. According to a police spokesman the incident, in the East Jerusalem village of Silwan, began when one young woman was arrested by the Border Police. He said residents began throwing rocks at the arresting officers from nearby rooftops, in response to which “the forces fired three foam-tipped bullets.” But residents insist that no rocks were thrown at the officers. » Read more

Palestinians: Protester dies of wounds ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press March 7, 2013 - 1:00am The family of a Palestinian man who was shot in the head two weeks ago by Israeli troops says he has died of his wounds. Palestinians say the 22-year-old Mohammed Asfour was struck in the head by a rubber-coated bullet during an anti-Israel demonstration in the West Bank on Feb. 22. The crowd had been demonstrating in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners held by Israel when clashes erupted. Asfour's cousin, Thaer Shalatwa, says his skull was fractured and he had been suffering from bleeding in the brain. » Read more

March 5th

Self-Immolation Un-Islamic, Scolds Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor by Mohammed Suliman - March 4, 2013 - 1:00am On Feb. 21, Mohammed al-Namrouti, a 43-year-old resident of the Gaza Strip, set himself on fire inside the headquarters of the Gaza Ministry of Social Affairs in Jabaliya, north of Gaza City. Local news agencies reported that Namrouti had gone to the office to obtain food assistance during which an argument ensued between him and officials and ended in Namrouti setting fire to himself. » Read more

Good-and-evil caricatures of the Israel-Palestine conflict are costing lives ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Telegraph by Matt Hill - (Opinion) March 4, 2013 - 1:00am Is there another issue that generates as much sound and fury as the Israel-Palestine conflict? Last month George Galloway attracted derision for storming out of an Oxford University debate when he discovered one of his opponents was an Israeli. The fallout continued into last week, with students at the university voting on whether to join a blanket boycott of Israeli companies and institutions. » Read more

Hard Questions, Tough Answers with Yossi Alpher: March 4, 2013 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Americans For Peace Now (Interview) March 4, 2013 - 1:00am Alpher discusses whether Netanyahu will form a government by the new deadline of March 16th, what the appointment of Philip Gordon as White House coordinator for the Middle East might tell us about Obama's approach to the Israeli-Palestinian issue in his second term, and whether there is any hope at all for Turkish-Israeli rapprochement, » Read more

Palestinians reach out with restaurant ATFP World Press Roundup Article from SFGate (Interview) March 4, 2013 - 1:00am After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, anti-Muslim sentiment peaked in the United States. Instead of retreating, Palestinian immigrants Fayza and Naime Ayyad built a bridge. » Read more

Palestinians Pressured To Leave 'Area C' of Occupied West Bank by Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Ben Lynfield - (Opinion) March 5, 2013 - 1:00am In this village of 250 residents just north of Jerusalem, elementary school principal Khalil Abu Arqoub must choose daily between heeding the orders of Israeli military administrators and upholding the well-being of his pupils. As part of Israel’s stringent building restrictions in this area, the toilet of the Nabi Samwil Mixed Basic School, which he directs, has a demolition order against it. So does the wire fence the school erected to separate the children’s play area from cars traversing the badly potholed road from the Tomb of Samuel holy site. » Read more

US bipartisan bill to make Israel 'strategic ally' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) March 5, 2013 - 1:00am A Republican and a Democrat in the US House of Representatives introduced legislation that would make Israel a "major strategic ally," a one of a kind designation. The bill, introduced Monday by Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), was timed for the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference, and 13,000 activists are expected to lobby for it and for Iran-related bills on Tuesday. » Read more

Op-Ed: Begin was right to fire Sharon over ‘83 massacre ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) (Opinion) March 3, 2013 - 1:00am Israel's State Archives last week released the previously classified minutes of a 1983 Cabinet meeting during which the government debated the Kahan Commission’s recommendation to fire Defense Minister Ariel Sharon on account of the Sabra and Shatila massacre. The killings had taken place some months before, on Sept. 16, 1982, when 150 fighters of the Lebanese Christian Phalanges entered two Palestinian refugee camps and massacred 700 to 800 residents. The Israel Defense Forces, which controlled the area, allowed the Lebanese forces access to the camp. » Read more