ATFP News Roundup March 6, 2014 | The American Task Force on Palestine

Daily News Issue Date:

March 6, 2014

News:

News:

A Palestinian official denies receiving a draft framework from the US. (Ha’aretz/Times of Israel)

Pres. Peres says if groups in Gaza cease fire towards Israel, there will be no need for a blockade. (Ynet/Jerusalem Post)

Egypt will revoke citizenship of thousands of Hamas members. (Ma’an)

Egypt deports activists trying to go to Gaza. (AFP/Ha’aretz/Gulf News)

A UN committee expresses concern over recent developments in Jerusalem. (PNN)

Extremist Jewish settlers assault three Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. (Ma’an)

Israeli occupation forces detain nine Palestinians in the West Bank. (Ma’an)

FC Barcelona sends soccer balls to Palestinian school children. (Al Arabiya)

Iran denies Israeli claims it sent arms to Gaza. (Ha’aretz/Jerusalem Post)

Hezbollah has reportedly built a small military airport in the Bekaa Valley. (Times of Israel)

Syria may be turning into an open-ended “mini-Vietnam” for Hezbollah. (Bloomberg)

A car bomb in Syria kills four people. (AP/Xinhua)

Pres. Assad prepares for his “reelection” campaign in Syria. (Reuters)

The US restricts the travel of Syria’s UN Permanent Representative. (AP)

Jordan faces infiltration attempts by radical armed groups from Syria. (Xinhua)

Qatar says it will not “bow” to demands from other Gulf countries. (Reuters/New York Times)

Tunisia lifts its state of emergency, three years after the uprising. (Reuters)

Iraq celebrates a victory by its national soccer team, while gunmen open fire on three police checkpoints. (New York Times)

Diplomats are working to help Libya create a stable government. (AP)

Commentary:

The New York Times says PM Netanyahu has no choice but to make a “historic peace” with the Palestinians. (New York Times)

Ari Shavit says Netanyahu is turning his back on young Jewish Americans. (Ha’aretz)

Gideon Levy says AIPAC needs to tell Netanyahu that people in the US are fed up with Israel. (Ha’aretz)

Peter Beinart says Israel cannot claim the high ground against its “despotic enemies’ until it resolves the immoral occupation. (Ha’aretz)

The Jordan Times says Pres. Obama may not be inclined to force Israel to make peace with the Palestinians. (Jordan Times)

Ali Jarbawi says the Palestinians need the US to be just in its vision and demands. (New York Times)

George Hishmeh says Israel is compromising its own future through its settlement activities. (Gulf News)

Gershon Baskin says security is the most important element of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. (Jerusalem Post)

Eitan Haber says it is time to reach a deal with the Palestinians. (Ynet)

Gulf News says the US needs to ask itself whether it will repeat the “South African mistake” in Israel. (Gulf News)

Michael Young says Hezbollah’s presidential headaches are growing in Lebanon. (Daily Star)

The National says the unprecedented decision by Gulf states to recall their Ambassadors from Qatar was not taken lightly. (The National)

Abdul Rahman Al Rashed says the GCC’s drama with Qatar is “long-winded” and 20 years old. (Al Arabiya)

Elizabeth Dickinson asks “how Qatar lost the Middle East.” (Foreign Policy)

Joyce Karam asks how the Ukrainian crisis might impact the Middle East. (Al Arabiya)

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