Banned From TV, Palestinian Satirists Turn to Stage
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line
by Mohammed Najib - March 8, 2012 - 1:00am

The Riyadh Hotel for Current and Future Exiled Arab Leaders in Saudi Arabia gets a phone call. Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Salam Fayyad is on the line asking if they have any positions for accountants. “No,” the nervous receptionist answers. “We live comfortably in Saudi Arabia. Don’t come and impose taxes on us.” The satirical attack on the Palestinian leader, who has tried, unsuccessfully so far, to impose income tax on his people, was part of a new assault by a popular but harassed trio of Palestinian actors at a theatre in Ramallah on Wednesday night.

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Despite hardships, Palestinians train for Olympics
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Ibrahim Barzak - March 8, 2012 - 1:00am

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Darting down the bumpy streets of Gaza wearing a cheap pair of running shoes, Palestinian athlete Bahaa al-Farra dodges potholes and traffic as he trains to compete against the world's best athletes at the London Olympics. Although an Olympic medal is highly unlikely, the 400-meter runner takes to the city streets for about three hours a day, speeding down crowded avenues in the morning before hitting the gym in the afternoon. "It's not easy to be an athlete in Gaza," al-Farra said.

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NGO asks Israel's AG to probe alleged Shin Bet abuse of Palestinian women
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Chaim Levinson - March 7, 2012 - 1:00am

The Public Committee Against Torture In Israel submitted affidavits by Palestinian women to Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein on Monday describing their treatment during interrogation by the Shin Bet security service. The watchdog group asked Weinstein to direct interrogators to maintain the women's dignity during questioning. Nine individual complaints were sent to the division of the Justice Ministry that investigates the police, and eight complaints were filed with the Military Advocate General.

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A third Palestinian intifada may be in the cards
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by Linda Heard - (Opinion) March 6, 2012 - 1:00am

Palestinian leaders are talking tough these days. And who can blame them! For decades they've been listening to empty Israeli promises and put their future in the hands of a succession of US presidents duplicitously claiming to be impartial peace brokers.

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Chief Palestinian negotiator says Mideast does not need more wars
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Maher Abukhater - March 6, 2012 - 1:00am

REPORTING FROM RAMALLAH, WEST BANK –- The Middle East needs "winds of peace" instead of "drums of war," the chief Palestinian negotiator said Tuesday. Saeb Erekat was commenting on the meeting a day earlier between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and their speeches before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Erekat did not seem worried that the Palestinian issue was overshadowed in the meeting by the conflict over Iran's nuclear program. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict remains the most destabilizing factor in the Middle East, he said.

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The next intifada
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat
by Emad El Din Adeeb - (Opinion) March 5, 2012 - 1:00am

There is new Israeli intelligence information about an imminent Palestinian intifada, ranging from Gaza to Ramallah. This information was leaked from the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate, but no one can be sure whether the objective of such an information leakage is to prevent a genuine intifada that is being secretly prepared underground, or whether it is merely a media cloud intended to cover up another crime committed by the occupying Israeli army. This issue cannot be analyzed without taking four other fundamental factors into consideration, which are as follows:

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PA: Israel seizing broadcast frequencies
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
March 1, 2012 - 1:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) – The Palestinian Authority is describing Wednesday's raids on TV networks in the occupied West Bank as the possible beginning of a "frequency war" over limited broadcasting space. The confiscation of equipment from Watan TV and Al-Quds Educational TV deprives Palestinians of their right to have frequencies for building modern wireless communication networks, the PA says. Ramallah Prime Minister Salam Fayyad visited one of the stations, Watan TV in Ramallah, and said the Israeli operation was "oppressive and monstrous" and violated "all international laws".

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Gaza Marathon Draws Hundreds in Rainy Weather
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Ibrahim Barzak - March 1, 2012 - 1:00am

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Some 2,200 school children and 300 adults ran a relay race Thursday traversing the Gaza Strip north to south, roughly the distance of an Olympic marathon, to raise money for U.N. summer camps. The race, sponsored by the U.N. aid agency for Gaza refugees, was held in rainy and unusually cold weather. The children ran segments of one kilometer (0.6 miles), while some of the adults ran full marathons, said Adnan Abu Hassna, a spokesman for the U.N. agency.

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Hebron Funeral Becomes Target of ‘Skunk’ Weapon
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Israel News
by Elior Levy - February 29, 2012 - 1:00am

A funeral in Hebron this weekend became the target of a non-fatal weapon used by security forces to disperse crowds during violent protests. The funeral began as a protest marking the Cave of Patriarchs massacre's anniversary was ending. At a certain point during the rally, which was also in protest of the closing of a street to Palestinian traffic, clashes between protesters and IDF and Border Guard forces erupted.

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PA: Israel Seizing Broadcast Frequencies
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
February 29, 2012 - 1:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) – The Palestinian Authority is describing Wednesday's raids on TV networks in the occupied West Bank as the possible beginning of a "frequency war" over limited broadcasting space. The confiscation of equipment from Watan TV and Al-Quds Educational TV deprives Palestinians of their right to have frequencies for building modern wireless communication networks, the PA says. Suleiman Zuheiri, undersecretary of the Palestinian ministry of telecommunication in Ramallah, said Israel had breached Article 36 of the Oslo agreement, which requires consultations with the PA.

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