February 22nd, 2013

The Israel-Palestine drama will play out at the Oscars ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Amy Goodman - February 21, 2013 - 1:00am The Academy Awards ceremony will make history this year with the first ever nomination of a feature documentary made by a Palestinian. 5 Broken Cameras was filmed and directed by Emad Burnat, a resident of the occupied Palestinian West Bank town of Bil'in, along with his Israeli filmmaking partner Guy Davidi. » Read more

Fatah official: No negotiations without settlement freeze ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency February 22, 2013 - 1:00am Senior Fatah official Mohammad Shtayyeh said Friday that the Palestinian leadership is ready to negotiate if Israel stops building illegal settlements and releases Palestinian prisoners. Shtayyeh told Ma'an an end to settlement activity and the release of prisoners were necessary for successful talks. The Fatah central committee member's comments came in response to a report on Israel's Channel 10 that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu planned to resume talks with the PLO within three months of forming a new government.

Savir's Corner: Raising expectations ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Uri Savir - (Opinion) February 21, 2013 - 1:00am On March 20, Air Force One will land on the tarmac at Ben-Gurion Airport. US President Barack Obama will be received with pomp and circumstance by President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his new government. All of Israel, the region and indeed the world will be watching. » Read more

Israel pressures UN over Palestinian status report: diplomat ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua February 21, 2013 - 1:00am   » Read more

Editor's Notes: What about a mini-region? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Steve Linde - (Editorial) February 21, 2013 - 1:00am Uriel Halbreich, an internationally respected professor of psychiatry, has devoted much of his long career to finding ways to combat depression. This year, after being awarded a Fulbright grant, he decided to spend some time away from his work at the State University of New York at Buffalo and return to Jerusalem, where he was born in 1943, to pursue a research program on resilience and stress-related disorders. » Read more

Jordan pledges continued efforts to revive Palestinian-Israeli peace process ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua February 22, 2013 - 1:00am   » Read more

Israel braces for action along the Syrian border ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Joshua Mitnick - February 21, 2013 - 1:00am   » Read more

Ayalon: Liberman portrayed Israel as belligerent ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Herb Keinon - (Opinion) February 22, 2013 - 1:00am Four more years of Avigdor Liberman in the foreign ministry would harm the country’s interest because he is irrelevant abroad and viewed as unnecessarily belligerent, Liberman’s former deputy, Danny Ayalon told The Jerusalem Post this week. » Read more

Report: Israeli police prepare for Jerusalem protests ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency February 22, 2013 - 1:00am Israeli police are increasing manpower in East Jerusalem ahead of anticipated protests in support of Palestinian hunger strikers, Israeli media reported Friday. The Israeli news site Ynet said police would deploy at Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City amid growing protests in solidarity with Samer Issawi, a resident of Jerusalem who has been on hunger strike in Israeli prison for 205 days. Issawi and three other prisoners on hunger strike have been the focus of intensified clashes with Israeli forces throughout the West Bank. » Read more

Mossad identity crises ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Anshel Pfeffer - (Opinion) February 15, 2013 - 1:00am Reports in the foreign press that the espionage agency has for decades used the passports and identities of citizens who have immigrated here from various countries, including major Western states that have friendly relations with Israel, have been, of course, well documented. However, it is very hard to find someone who will admit on the record to having being asked to “lend” his or her passport to the agency. » Read more