Middle East News: World Press Roundup

NEWS: An Israeli human rights group says armed settlers opened fire on Palestinian villagers in the full view of Israeli soldiers who did nothing to stop the attacks, as depicted clearly in video footage. PM Netanyahu again insists that Iran is determined to “destroy” Israel. The PA says Israel has already violated the prisoners' agreement brokered by Egypt. Israeli physicians describe African migrants as “a ticking illness bomb.” Israeli settlement expansion in Jerusalem is proceeding without respite. PM Fayyad says Israel's control of water resources in the occupied West Bank is the cause of a Palestinian water crisis. PM Netanyahu says it would be a “fatal mistake” to compromise over control of holy sites in occupied East Jerusalem. The Austrian FM criticizes his own DM for blunt statements about Israeli FM Lieberman. The Knesset passes a bill granting tax exemptions to donations to settlement activities. Rep. Howard Berman is making a surge in fundraising in his tightly-contested reelection campaign in California. An American Jewish Committee official decries both pro-Israeli right wing and pro-Palestinian left-wing one-state advocacy. Palestinian paralympians visit the al-Aqsa Mosque before the competition. European leaders are increasingly considering a settlements goods boycott. Released Palestinian prisoners struggle to make a new life in Gaza. COMMENTARY: ATFP expresses alarm at footage showing armed settlers opening fire on Palestinian villagers in the full view of Israeli soldiers. Gershon Baskin says it would not be that hard for Netanyahu and Pres. Abbas to reach a peace agreement if it were simultaneously their national priorities. Michael Kagan says Hussein Ibish is wrong that the search for creative alternatives to a two-state solution in finding a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is quixotic.Kathleen Peratis says that, under present circumstances, peace efforts are concentrated on finding any formula that is “good enough” to avoid disaster. Jonathan Schanzer says a new bill in Congress might completely revise the American, if not UN, definition of who constitutes a Palestinian refugee. David Shulman says Israel is pursuing “suicidal” policies because it is driven by irrational fear. Robert Wright says the recent scandal involving armed settlers shooting at Palestinian villagers in the full view of Israeli soldiers demonstrates exactly what the role of occupation forces in the Palestinian territories really is.

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Group: Palestinian shot as Israeli troops stood by ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press May 21, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — An Israeli human rights group has released a video that suggests Israeli soldiers stood by while Jewish settlers opened fire on Palestinians in the West Bank, wounding one. » Read more

Settlers filmed shooting at Palestinian protesters? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News May 21, 2012 - 12:00am It is the sort of incident that we often hear about, but almost never get to see. This time, thanks to B'Tselem, we have graphic video evidence of what happened. The picture the videos paint is disturbing. It appears to show Jewish settler youths attacking a Palestinian village; later heavily armed Jewish settlers shooting at, and wounding, a Palestinian man, and most disturbing of all, Israeli soldiers standing by and doing nothing to prevent the shooting. » Read more

Israel skeptical of Iranian nuke deal with UN ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Josef Federman - May 21, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — Israel's defense minister voiced skepticism on Tuesday over an agreement by Iran to open up its nuclear facilities to U.N. inspectors, saying the Iranians are trying to create a "deception of progress" to save off international pressure. » Read more

Israel violates Egypt-brokered prisoner deal: PNA ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua May 22, 2012 - 12:00am RAMALLAH, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) said on Tuesday that Israel has violated an Egypt-brokered prisoner deal that demands the transfer of 18 Palestinians it jailed from solitary confinement to regular cells. Palestinian Minister of Prisoners Affairs Eissa Qaraqe' said Israel is still holding one prisoner in solitary confinement, pointing to its "intention to evade the articles of the agreement. " » Read more

Israeli physicians: African infiltrators "ticking illness bomb" ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua May 22, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, May 22 (Xinhua) -- African migrants residing in south Tel Aviv pose a severe health risk, warn senior Israeli physicians. Dozens of illegal migrants arrive each day at hospital emergency rooms in the greater Tel Aviv area, where they are diagnosed with tuberculosis, measles, chicken pox and other viral infections common in developing countries, the Yediot Aharonot daily reported on Tuesday. » Read more

Jerusalem expansion reaches point of no return ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Crispian Balmer - May 22, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM (Reuters) -- Named for the crash site of an airforce plane shot down during the Six Day War in 1967, Givat HaMatos may yet prove the place where Palestinian hopes of a creating a capital in Jerusalem also plunge to earth. 'Airplane Hill' lies on the southern fringes of Jerusalem's city limits -- rock-strewn land dotted with shabby, prefabricated bungalows and the occasional pine tree. » Read more

Fayyad: Water crisis due to Israel's control of resources ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency May 22, 2012 - 12:00am RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Israel's control of Palestinian water resources in the West Bank is responsible for the water crisis, PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said Monday. Opening a conference on water and the prospects for agricultural development in Palestine, Fayyed said strategic vision and a long-term plan were needed to resolve the crisis. The two-day conference was organized by the Palestine Technical University, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Palestinian Water Authority. » Read more

Netanyahu: 'Fatal mistake' to concede sacred sites ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters May 22, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM (Reuters) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday it would be a "fatal mistake" ever to give up control over Jerusalem's holy sites. His remarks, in a parliamentary speech, went a little further than Israel's longtime policy of viewing Jerusalem, a city at the heart of Middle East conflict, as its "indivisible capital". » Read more

Austria condemns minister for attacking Liberman ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Herb Keinon, Benjamin Weinthal - May 22, 2012 - 12:00am Austria’s Foreign Ministry condemned Norbert Darabos, the country’s defense minister, on Monday for his sharp and undiplomatic criticism of Israel and Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman. » Read more

Knesset passes bill granting tax benefits to settlement donations ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Moran Azulay - May 21, 2012 - 12:00am The Knesset plenum on Monday passed in second and third reading a bill to amend the Income Tax Act, by which those who donate to settlements will enjoy tax benefits. » Read more

Howard Berman Wins Pro-Israel Donors ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Nathan Guttman, Rex Weiner - May 22, 2012 - 12:00am It’s the battle that has confronted pro-Israel donors nationwide with a choice they hate: having to decide between two staunchly pro-Israel congressional incumbents with whom many have long, supportive relationships. But one way or another, pro-Israel donors have come down firmly on the side of Democratic Rep. Howard Berman in his death match against Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman in California’s San Fernando Valley. » Read more

AJC official decries ‘one state’ proposals from both sides ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) May 22, 2012 - 12:00am WASHINGTON (JTA) -- A top American Jewish Committee official decried to an Arab audience advocacy of a "one state solution" from both the pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian perspectives. » Read more

Palestinian Paralympians visit Jerusalem holy site ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Harriet Sherwood - May 21, 2012 - 12:00am In al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, Moussa Qadoom sank to the floor and wept into the gold and red carpet. As swallows swooped between the white marble columns of the vast edifice, the athletics coach from Gaza City surrendered to the emotion of the moment. "I'm 31 years old, and I have only ever seen this place in newspapers and on television," he said a few minutes later. "I never imagined in my whole life that I would come and pray in al-Aqsa." » Read more

Talk on possible EU boycott of Israeli settlements stirs controversy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Arabiya May 20, 2012 - 12:00am Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore’s recent statements that he may push for an EU wide boycott of products from Israeli settlements if Israel does not quickly change its settlements policy in Palestinian territories has stirred controversy. Gilmore, whose country will take over the rotating presidency of the European Union in January 2013, also said his government may seek to have certain extremist Israeli settlers banned from the EU if they do not stop their violence in settlement areas, according to a report by the Irish Times. » Read more

Freed Palestinians find Gaza exile a challenge ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) by Sakher Abu El Oun - May 22, 2012 - 12:00am GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories — "Gaza is a big prison, but some prisons are better than others," admits Nihad Abu Kishk, a former detainee from the West Bank who was exiled by Israel to the Gaza Strip. "I feel uprooted and it is difficult to adapt," says the 34-year-old who was sentenced to life in an Israeli prison but freed and sent to Gaza under terms of a prisoner swap deal with Israel late last year. » Read more

ATFP Expresses Alarm at Footage Showing Settlers Shooting at Palestinians in the Presence of Israeli Soldiers ATFP World Press Roundup Article from ATFP (Opinion) May 22, 2012 - 12:00am Washington, DC, May 22 -- The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) expressed deep alarm about a video released by the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem that shows a group of armed settlers opening fire on Palestinian protesters in the occupied West Bank. Settlers, some of them masked and armed, reportedly entered the village of Asira al-Qibliya, near Nablus, on Saturday and began a confrontation by throwing rocks at the villagers. The Palestinians responded by throwing stones back at the settlers. » Read more

Peace directive in the hands of leaders ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) May 21, 2012 - 12:00am I challenge the leaders, Binyamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas – how long would it take to make real peace if making real peace was your primary governmental directive? If you said to yourselves: I will make peace with the other side – there is nothing more important for me to do in my position as leader of my people – how could your personal decision affect real change and make the difference in leading us to peace? » Read more

When Peace Seems Impossible: A Response to Hussein Ibish ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast by Michael Kagan - (Opinion) May 21, 2012 - 12:00am It is often said that in Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, the two-state solution is the only game in town. And yet, despite the official commitment of the Israelis, the Palestinians, and nearly the entire international community, a two-state solution has failed to bear fruit. » Read more

Palestine Good Enough ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast by Kathleen Peratis - (Opinion) May 22, 2012 - 12:00am Two-State-Solution activists have not given up on their faith-based belief that Obama will do in a second term what he has not done in his first: insert America aggressively, relentlessly and successfully into the (so-called) peace process and not allow Israeli and the Palestinians negotiators to leave the room without a full and final peace agreement.  They have not entirely given up hope that Obama may yet do so in what remains of his first term. » Read more

Status Update ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy by Jonathan Schanzer - (Opinion) May 22, 2012 - 12:00am A war is brewing on Capitol Hill. And while wars tend to create refugees, this one may result in fewer of them. » Read more

Israel in Peril ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Review Of Books by David Shulman - (Book Review) May 9, 2012 - 12:00am On April 15 of this year I was returning to Israel on an Alitalia flight from Rome. About forty minutes before landing in Tel Aviv, the captain informed us that Israel had announced extraordinary security measures, constricting its air space in response to an unusual threat, and that from that moment on—we were still high above the Mediterranean—until we would be allowed to leave the terminal, all photography was strictly forbidden; beyond that, we were to follow the instructions of Israeli security personnel on the ground. » Read more

Why Israeli Settlers Shot an Unarmed Palestinian ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Atlantic by Robert Wright - (Opinion) May 22, 2012 - 12:00am When West Bank settlers shoot at unarmed Palestinians while Israeli soldiers look on without intervening, that's a story--especially when one of the Palestinians suffers a head wound. » Read more

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