Hundreds of Palestinians declare hunger strike
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Dalia Nammari - April 16, 2012 - 12:00am

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel launched a hunger strike on Tuesday, officials said, protesting their conditions and demanding an end to open-ended detentions without trial as the Palestinians marked their annual day of solidarity with the inmates. Some 3,500 prisoners refused meals on "Prisoners' Day," and 1,200 of them said they would continue with an open-ended hunger strike, according to Israeli prison service spokeswoman Sivan Weizman.

»

A Champion of Non-violence on Palestine's Tactics
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor
by Sophie Claudet - (Interview) April 15, 2012 - 12:00am

With a huge, open-ended hunger strike planned for April 17, in which all Palestinian prisoners will follow the example of Khader Adnan —who was released after a 66-day strike earlier this year—questions about the Palestinian non-violence movement have become pertinent again. Among the reasons that led Palestinian militant groups to renounce large-scale violence, one could cite the wall that Israel started building in 2002 around the West Bank to thwart suicide bombings, or Israel’s massive assault on Gaza in December 2008-January 2009 to stop rocket attacks.

»

‘One-State’ Idea Gains Support of Some Palestinians
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from National Public Radio (NPR)
by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro - April 12, 2012 - 12:00am

Peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians are at a standstill and have been for almost two years. The stated aim of those negotiations is what is known as the "two-state solution," which means the establishment of a viable, independent Palestinian state existing in peace alongside Israel. But as hopes for an agreement diminish, Palestinians — and even some Israelis — are now talking about other solutions to the conflict. Among them, the so-called "one-state solution."

»

Jordan to Revoke Citizenship
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from United Press International (UPI)
April 12, 2012 - 12:00am

AMMAN, Jordan, April 12 (UPI) -- In a move to restrict Palestinian representation in Parliament, Jordan plans to revoke the citizenship of some Palestinians, officials said. The decision coincides with a new electoral law, The Jerusalem Post said Thursday. The move will affect Palestinian Authority officials as well as members of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, The Post said. Palestinian leaders will receive temporary Jordanian passports to facilitate travel. Nearly half of the Hashemite Kingdom's 6 million people are of Palestinian origin, The Post said.

»

Palestinians need freedom in Jerusalem, not Israeli permits
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Hanan Ashrawi - (Opinion) April 11, 2012 - 12:00am

It is Easter in Jerusalem. Newspaper pictures show scenes of Christians from all over the world celebrating and commemorating this holy occasion, with processions, special services and prayers. While most come freely with passports and tourist visas, the indigenous Christian population, many of them coming from towns and villages within few kilometers of the Old City, require special permits to visit their holy sites. The majority of these Christians do not receive the necessary permits and so are prevented from participating in the Easter celebrations of Jerusalem.

»

West Bank: Teens Erect Outpost, Clash with Security Forces
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Itamar Fleishman - April 10, 2012 - 12:00am

Several dozen Jewish teenagers on Tuesday took advantage of the Passover holiday to erect a new outpost near the Hashmonaim community in the West Bank. The teens, who called the outpost "Or Hadash (new light)," clashed with security forces at the scene. The security forces confiscated tools that were used to build the outpost. Two teenage girls who tried to snatch the tools back were held for questioning but released a short while later after agreeing to identify themselves.

»

Palestinian accuses Israel Police of beating him, hiding evidence
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Revital Hovel - April 9, 2012 - 12:00am

A 26-year-old Palestinian man from Jenin was severely beaten by Israeli police officers in Daliat al-Carmel two weeks ago and dumped at a checkpoint, according to a complaint he filed with the internal affairs unit. Police say they believe the man was in Israel illegally. The internal affairs unit is investigating the man’s allegations, but said it could not divulge details of the investigation. Doctors removed Rami Washahi’s spleen to curtail his abdominal bleeding, and he was hospitalized for four days, Washahi said.

»

HRW: PA Detains Another Man Over Facebook Post
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
April 4, 2012 - 12:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Palestinian Authority police on Monday detained Jamal Hlaihel over a Facebook post deemed critical of the government, Human Rights Watch reported Tuesday. Hlaihel is the fourth Palestinian to be arrested recently for criticizing the Ramallah-based government. Two journalists and a university lecturer were also detained for newspaper articles and Facebook posts that the authorities said were slanderous. The academic remains behind bars.

»

Arrests of Palestinian Government Critics Raise Alarms
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Hugh Naylor - April 4, 2012 - 12:00am

RAMALLAH // The Palestinian Authority is endangering free speech with the latest arrest and detention of government critics and reporters, say Palestinian journalists and human-rights workers. Two Palestinians have been arrested and two others detained in a little more than a week for either publishing articles critical of the West Bank government or posting unfavourable remarks on Facebook about its leader, the Palestinian Authority (PA) president, Mahmoud Abbas.

»

A Middle East Twofer
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Thomas L. Friedman - (Opinion) April 4, 2012 - 12:00am

There is so much going on in the Middle East today, it’s impossible to capture it all with one opinion. So here are two for the price of one.

»


American Task Force on Palestine - 1634 Eye St. NW, Suite 725, Washington DC 20006 - Telephone: 202-262-0017