Two Narratives for Two Peoples
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Hussein Ibish - (Opinion) May 19, 2011 - 12:00am

Many Jewish Israelis and their supporters have reacted with outrage to a New York Times Op-Ed on May 17 by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, particularly its invocation of the Palestinian historical narrative. Most troubling to them was Abbas’s description of how his family was “forced” to flee their home in what became Israel in 1948 — a word choice they feel implies that Abbas and his family were evicted by Jewish troops.

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Avoid Palestinian mistakes
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Gadi Taub - (Opinion) May 18, 2011 - 12:00am

It’s amazing how the tables have turned. During the political struggle for the State of Israel’s establishment, the Jewish community was practical, sophisticated and flexible. The Palestinian side, on the other hand, boycotted the process and turned its back to the international institutions engaged in the partition question. The Palestinians could have received about half of Eretz Yisrael’s territory, yet through their stubbornness and absolute refusal to recognize the other side’s rights they chose war and lost the opportunity.

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Nakba Day protests: Palestinians, Israelis must heed Arab Spring principles
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
(Editorial) May 16, 2011 - 12:00am

The world, especially Israel, has once again been surprised by the latest expression of the Arab Spring. On Sunday, thousands of unarmed Palestinian refugees living in Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan tried to cross the military borders of Israel. They were attempting to enter land that earlier Palestinians had been forced to flee, either during the 1948 creation of modern Israel or during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.

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Palestinians feel stronger through unity, protests
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Tom Perry - May 16, 2011 - 12:00am

Palestinians have declared Sunday's protests on Israel's borders a historic moment in the Middle East conflict, a turning point inspired by Arab revolts that could set the tone for more activism to come. Coming three weeks after rival Palestinian groups agreed to end four years of internal conflict, leading Palestinians say the protests have injected new hope into their national struggle as the U.S.-led peace process has ground to a complete halt.

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Palestinian "Arab Spring" confronts Israel on borders
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Dan Williams - (Analysis) May 16, 2011 - 12:00am

Founded as a Jewish homeland and post-Holocaust haven, forged in border wars with Arab forces, Israel now confronts a redefinition of the conflict after Palestinian refugees massed fearlessly on its frontiers. The thousands of protesters who surged from Syria, Lebanon and Gaza on Sunday, flattening some buffer-zone fences and drawing deadly Israeli gunfire, reminded many in the country of the image-corroding consequences of pitting the region's mightiest military against stone-throwing demonstrators.

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Palestinians test tactic of unarmed mass marches
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Karin Laub - May 16, 2011 - 12:00am

Palestinian activists are calling it a preview of new tactics to pressure Israel and win world support for statehood: Masses of marchers, galvanized by the Arab Spring and brought together by Facebook, descending on borders and military posts — and daring Israeli soldiers to shoot. It could prove more problematic for Israel than the suicide bombings and other deadly violence of the past — which the current Palestinian Authority leadership feels only tainted their cause.

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Abbas orders amendment to 'honor killing' law
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
May 16, 2011 - 12:00am

President Mahmoud Abbas has directed the judiciary to award the "utmost punishment" to perpetrators of honor killings, his secretary-general said Friday. The announcement was made during a talk show on satellite channel Palestine TV to discuss the murder of 20-year-old Ayah Barad'iyya by her uncle. Abbas' secretary-general At-Tayyib Abdul-Rahim telephoned the presenter and announced on air that the president had ordered a legal amendment to end leniency in courts for men who kill to protect "family honor."

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Palestinians: Prepare for 3rd intifada
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Elior Levy - May 13, 2011 - 12:00am

Text messages were sent to tens of thousands of cellular subscribers in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, calling them to take part in the events marking the Palestinian day of mourning over Israel's inception and to ignite a third Intifada. Police intelligence suggests that the Palestinians intend on holding several prequel events on Friday and Saturday; and though the police believe chances of events escalating into riots are low, reinforced police and Border Guard forces will deploy in east Jerusalem, the Old City and Temple Mount plaza, to maintain order.

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Top Fatah official: 'PA won't be able to stop 3rd intifada'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by David Miller, Arieh O'Sullivan - May 12, 2011 - 12:00am

The Palestinian leadership won’t be able to contain the street protests planned for this weekend marking the 63rd anniversary of the creation of Israel, said a senior member of Central Committee of the Fatah movement. Abbas Zaki, whose tasks include monitoring the Arab Spring revolts, told The Media Line that Palestinians have been encouraged by how Arabs across the Middle East have toppled two leaders and threaten others with mass protests. With no peace talks with Israel on the horizon, Zaki warned, the Palestinian leadership will be hard pressed to contain the rage of demonstrators.

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Palestinian population grew 8-fold since 1948
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
May 12, 2011 - 12:00am

As Palestinians prepare to mark Nakba Day, statisticians released figures Thursday showing the world-wide Palestinian population is eight times that of 1948, the period commemorated Sunday. The Nakba, or catastrophe, refers to fighting which saw an estimated 700,000 Palestinians were expelled from or fled their homes in fighting that would lead to the establishment of the state of Israel.

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