October 30th

In a Christianity Today blog, U.S. evangelical leader David Neff reports on a meeting he and five other Evangelical leaders held recently with Secretary Rice to express their support for her current Mideast peacemaking efforts (1.) McClatchy Newspapers examines the recently released public letter by former Hamas government spokesman Hamad, criticizing the movement for ideological rigidity and for its military takeover of Gaza (3.) A Christian Science Monitor commentary by Tariq Ramadan addresses his barring from the U.S. resulting in his inability to assume his professorship at Notre Dame university (5.) Middle East Progress interviews Palestinian NY Times Gaza journalist Taghreed El-Khodary about the situation in Gaza during the current closure (7.) A Daily Star (Lebanon) opinion by Rami Khouri relates his attendance at a panel featuring 'Israel Lobby' authors and professors Walt and Mearshiemer and ties in their analysis to growing calls for war against Iran (10.) Haaretz (Israel) reports on the recent visit to Israel by U.S. national security advisor Hadley and his urging Israel to provide tangible changes on the ground for the Palestinians including the removal of outposts (12.) Also in Haaretz, an opinion by Shmuel Rosner examines how it is the fear of the consequences of failure that is bringing the parties to the Annapolis meeting (13.)

Acting Out Of Frustration In Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
(Editorial) October 30, 2007 - 1:20pm

One can appreciate the frustration behind the defense establishment's proposal to sporadically cut the electricity supply to the Gaza Strip: Powerful Israel stands by helplessly while Qassam rockets continue falling on Sderot and the Negev. And these are attacks that in the not-so-distant future may become increasingly more accurate and effective.

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Mazuz Prohibits Punitive Power Cuts In Gaza Strip
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Shlomo Shamir, Yuval Yoaz - October 30, 2007 - 1:19pm

Attorney General Menachem Mazuz yesterday prohibited the state from cutting off electricity to parts of the Gaza Strip, as the defense minister has threatened to do. After holding a debate in his office yesterday, Mazuz ordered the defense establishment to reexamine the issue.

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Creating The "jerusalem Paradigm"
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Daniel Seidemann - (Opinion) October 30, 2007 - 1:15pm

Sit any Friday afternoon on the corner of el-Wad St. and St. Stephen's Road in Jerusalem's Old City, just opposite the Austrian Hospice. Thousands of Muslim worshipers throng to the mosques on Haram al-Sharif. Additional thousands of Orthodox Jews flock to prayers at the Western Wall. And the brown-robed Franciscans bearing the cross turn the corner and proceed to the Third Station of the Cross.

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Public Opinion And The Peace Process
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Ziad Abu Zayyad - (Opinion) October 30, 2007 - 1:14pm

The importance of public opinion stems from the fact that in democratic regimes it can play a determining role in the shift of power between the different political forces. Political leaders and parties must always bear in mind that, come election day, it is the voters who will be judging their performance and deciding whether they deserve to be reelected, or whether they should be voted out for having disappointed their electorate. Thus the agenda of political parties must always take into account the wider public agenda and concerns.

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Giuliani Is Mideast's Worst Nightmare
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
by Linda S. Heard - (Special Report) October 30, 2007 - 1:13pm

President George W. Bush's approval ratings may be in the doldrums and he's only got just over another year to go, but before we order the celebratory fireworks here's a thought. The next American president could make this one look like a boy scout. As the months pass, the next election looks like a race between Democrat Hillary Clinton and the former mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani for the Republicans. I'm no fan of the coolly calculating Clinton but given the alternative, she's the one I'll be rooting for.

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Israel's Decision To Cut Power In Gaza Is Illegal, Says Un
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent
by Donald Macintyre - October 30, 2007 - 1:11pm

The UN's top official in Gaza will tell British ministers today that Israel's cuts in fuel and power to the Palestinians violate international law, while the isolation of Hamas has strengthened extremism and started to drive non-affiliated moderates who can leave Gaza to do so.

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Gaza Sanctions: The Legal Argument
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bbc News
by Paul Reynolds - October 30, 2007 - 1:10pm

The intervention by Israeli Attorney General Menachem Mazuz to suspend a plan to restrict electricity supplies to Gaza raises the issue of Israel's rights and responsibilities under international humanitarian law. Earlier, there were protests from human rights groups, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon - who called the measure "unacceptable" - and the European Union External Affairs Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, who said: "There should not be collective punishment".

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Politics: Desmond Tutu Likens Israeli Actions To Apartheid
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Inter Press Service (IPS)
by Adrianne Appel - (Interview) October 30, 2007 - 1:09pm

South African Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu compared conditions in Palestine to those of South Africa under apartheid, and called on Israelis to try and change them, while speaking in Boston Saturday at historic Old South Church. "We hope the occupation of the Palestinian territory by Israel will end," Tutu said. "There is a cry of anguish from the depth of my heart, to my spiritual relatives. Please, please hear the call, the noble call of our scripture," Tutu said of Israelis.

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Palestinian Census Carries Sobering Subtext For Israelis
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Joshua Mitnick - October 30, 2007 - 1:07pm

The field worker matches the villa at 5 El Balu'a Street with a building survey map, scribbles a number in blue crayon, and then offers a brief introduction to the homeowner on what the counting means. "I'm a representative of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, and we're doing preliminary work for the census," says Raniah Haseebah, a youthful, bright-eyed statistician. "I'm giving you this questionnaire."

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