Finding Fault in the Palestinian Messages That Aren’t So Public
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Isabel Kershner - December 20, 2011 - 1:00am

JERUSALEM — A new book by an Israeli watchdog group catalogs dozens of examples of messages broadcast by the Palestinian Authority for its domestic audience that would seem at odds with the pursuit of peace and a two-state solution. Instead, the authors say, their findings show a pattern of non-recognition of Israel’s right to exist, demonization of Israel and promotion of violence.

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London 2012: Gaza blockade threatens Olympic hopes
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
by Jon Donnison - December 20, 2011 - 1:00am

Nader el Masri feels the loneliness of a long distance runner. The 32-year-old 5,000 metre specialist is the fastest man in Gaza but he has few places to train and few people to train with. "I have a coach but there's nobody at my level in Gaza," says Nader. "I have to do most of my training sessions on my own." And the facilities in Gaza are far from great. There is not a single tartan track in the Palestinian territory and Nader does much of his training on the pot-holed cinder track that loops around the football stadium in Gaza City.

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A short history of Arab feelings toward Zionism
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Salman Masalha - (Opinion) December 19, 2011 - 1:00am

The Arab attempt since the start of the 20th century to understand the Zionist movement has long produced mixed feelings. A new Arabic monthly, Lughat al-Arab ("the Arabic language"), began publication in Baghdad 100 years ago. The third issue, from September 1911, contains an investigative report by the editor called "The Founder of Zionism."

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Palestinian rivals united by drift
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Tom Perry - (Analysis) December 15, 2011 - 1:00am

RAMALLAH, West Bank, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Hamas and Fatah are Palestinian rivals facing the same dilemma: how to justify their role as leaders of the Palestinian people while making little headway in achieving their national goals. With elections overdue, questions over their legitimacy are only likely to increase unless they find a way to galvanise the Palestinians' struggle with Israel.

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Mideast can accept Israel if Netanyahu will let it
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Carlo Strenger - (Opinion) December 14, 2011 - 1:00am

I have spent two days in Doha, Qatar at the United Nations Alliance of Civilization conference. The real value of such forums is in the informal meetings behind the scenes. You meet people you would never get a chance to talk to otherwise. The great challenge is to open up sufficiently to allow prejudices and preconceptions about nations, ideologies and other groups to be challenged by empirical experience.

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Official: Govt salaries on track after Israel unblocks funds
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
December 2, 2011 - 1:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Government salaries for November will be paid on time after Israel released frozen tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority, a PA spokesman said Friday. Government media center head Ghassan Khatib confirmed that the government has received the balance of October and Novembers funds, which include customs duties collected by Israel and delivered to the PA. Israel froze the transfers on Nov. 1, a day after the UN cultural agency UNESCO voted to admit Palestine, a move criticized by Israel and the US.

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Palestinian poll: 56% oppose armed struggle against Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Elior Levy - (Analysis) November 28, 2011 - 1:00am

A new poll carried out by the Palestinian Jerusalem Media and Communications Center (JMCC) reveals that support for Fatah among residents of the Palestinian Authority has not been hurt by the Shalit deal , which was completed between Hamas and Israel last month. And yet, the Hamas-led Shalit deal still receives wall to wall support – 86% of those questioned expressed their satisfaction with the results of the deal – the satisfaction rate is close to that of the Israeli satisfaction rate with the deal.

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O little church in Bethlehem – basilica decays as sects squabble over who pays
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent
by Catrina Stewart - (Analysis) November 28, 2011 - 1:00am

When it comes to fixing the church roof, rarely has it been so difficult to reach agreement as at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. But, after a centuries-old stand-off between rival religious sects, it looks as if the reputed birthplace of Jesus may finally get the renovation it so badly needs.

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Palestinian kids create human sculpture for peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Tovah Lazaroff - (Analysis) November 27, 2011 - 1:00am

“One more person at the bottom left of the A,” American aerial artist John Quigley yelled out. He looking down at the desert valley next to the Mount of Temptation, 11 km. northwest of Jericho, on Friday. Below, 1,000 Palestinian children were busy forming a human mosaic in the shape of the dove peace symbol popularized by Pablo Picasso in 1949. First, Quigley had a team of adults sketch out in the sand a large outline of the dove, including an olive branch and the words “Love All.”

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In the West Bank, a contested heritage
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Joel Greenberg - November 20, 2011 - 1:00am

JERUSALEM — At a museum just off the desert road from Jerusalem to Jericho in the West Bank, the artifacts of a contested heritage are on display. Colorful mosaic floors from Byzantine-era churches and synagogues, inscriptions, Roman capitals and stone burial boxes — all dug up by Israeli archaeologists in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip — are shown at the site, developed by Israel’s West Bank military administration with the Israeli antiquities authority.

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