December 14th

Hamas' Gaza anniversary draws tens of thousands ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Ibrahim Barzak - December 14, 2011 - 1:00am GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Tens of thousands of Gazans turned out Wednesday for an anniversary rally of the ruling Hamas, a demonstration of strength for the Islamic militant movement ahead of Palestinian general elections tentatively set for the spring. The annual rally has become an increasingly elaborate exercise in stagecraft since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 following internal fighting with forces loyal to Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. » Read more

Israel razing more Palestinian homes, wells-monitors ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Allyn Fisher-Ilan - December 13, 2011 - 1:00am JERUSALEM, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Israel has stepped up its demolitions of Palestinian property in occupied land this year, razing double the number of homes and water wells from 2010, human rights groups said on Tuesday. The statement endorsed by 20 organisations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch further said Jewish settler violence against Palestinians had risen in 2011 and that Israel had sped up its expansion of settler enclaves. » Read more

Zahhar: No elections in May ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency December 14, 2011 - 1:00am GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahhar said Tuesday it was unlikely that elections would be held in May as scheduled. In an interview with Egyptian media, Zahhar said a unity government and security committee needed to be formed to ensure a transparent vote, Cairo-based Al-Ahram reported. He questioned on what basis elections could be held as neither of these prerequisites had been met, according to the newspaper report citing the Middle East News Agency. » Read more

Second phase of prisoner swap underway ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency December 14, 2011 - 1:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) – The Palestinian Prisoners' Society said Wednesday that the Israeli prison service has notified the detainees who will be released in the second phase of the prisoner swap deal. The society has released a list naming detainees it says will be freed. Israel released 477 prisoners on Oct. 18 and agreed to free an additional 550 detainees within two months in a captive exchange deal with Hamas to secure the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. » Read more

Israeli leadership outraged at Jewish extremists' raid on army site ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Batsheva Sobelman - December 13, 2011 - 1:00am REPORTING FROM JERUSALEM -- Throwing rocks, burning tires and carrying out other assaults on the Israeli military are not unheard of in the West Bank. But the incident Monday night registered loudly with Israeli authorities: The attackers were Jewish extremists. Dozens of right-wing militants who support the settlement movement infiltrated an army regional division headquarters in the West Bank, set tires on fire, vandalized vehicles and scattered nails on the road. Senior officers also were attacked with rocks. » Read more

Israel's extremism is the reason ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Ghassan Khatib - (Opinion) December 12, 2011 - 1:00am The hard-line and extreme political position of the Israeli government, born from its right-wing composition, is creating immense contradictions between what this Israeli government can "accept" (and stay together) and what the international community seeking to restart the political process between Palestinians and Israelis expects. Israel has been solving this contradiction through evasion, doing whatever it takes to avoid any negotiations or engagement on matters of substance, especially if they involve a third party. » Read more

Where do we go when these non-negotiations end? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Yossi Alpher - (Opinion) December 12, 2011 - 1:00am The Quartet negotiators plan to meet yet again with Israeli and Palestinian officials this week. They have in hand a Palestinian reply to their request for the two sides' positions on territory and security. They do not have an Israeli reply; the Netanyahu government insists that its demands on these two issues be delivered only in the course of direct negotiations. The Palestinians, for their part, insist there will be no direct negotiations until Israel ceases settlement construction. » Read more

Jewish rock-throwers are more equal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Eyal Gross - (Opinion) December 14, 2011 - 1:00am It is easy to imagine what would have happened had Palestinians invaded an Israeli military base and vandalized vehicles, burned tires, thrown rocks at the brigade commander and injured his deputy. It would have ended in death, injury or arrest for many of them. But the perpetrators of this week's incident were Jews, not Palestinians, and they threw rocks at both soldiers and Palestinians. » Read more

Israel Misses Point With Ad Campaign ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Liora Halperin - (Opinion) December 14, 2011 - 1:00am The advertising campaign by Israel’s Ministry of Immigrant Absorption aimed at inspiring expatriate Israelis to return to Israel so offended American Jews that it eventually was canceled by Prime Minister Netanyahu himself. » Read more

Israel intended no offense with ad campaign ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Danny Danon - (Opinion) December 14, 2011 - 1:00am JERUSALEM (JTA) -- The State of Israel has always prided itself on being not only a home to its native citizens but a haven for Jews from across the globe. For years the Ministry of Immigration Absorption has successfully focused on attracting Jews from around the world to make aliyah and reconnect with their homeland. This past year alone, more than 19,000 Jewish people chose to leave their countries of residence to start life anew in the Jewish state. » Read more